LIHU‘E — A Hawaiian monk seal was found dead under suspicious circumstances on Kaua‘i Monday, following the death of three other seals on Molokai in recent weeks, according to a press release Wednesday from the state Department of Land and
LIHU‘E — A Hawaiian monk seal was found dead under suspicious circumstances on Kaua‘i Monday, following the death of three other seals on Molokai in recent weeks, according to a press release Wednesday from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
“This was not how I hoped the new year would start,” DLNR Chair William Aila Jr. said. “Monk seals are a vital part of Hawai‘i’s marine ecosystems. The intentional killing of any monk seal is not only illegal; it is inexcusable, environmentally and culturally.”
Two of the deaths on Molokai have been ruled “under suspicious circumstances,” and the third Molokai seal death is still being investigated. Samples were taken for further analysis.
The monk seal that died on Kaua‘i was apparently a juvenile male in Pila‘a on Kaua‘i’s North Shore.
The federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in cooperation with the DLNR, is investigating the suspicious death of the monk seal on Kaua‘i, according to the release.
Hawaiian monk seals are critically endangered species endemic to Hawai‘i — they are a native species found nowhere else in the world.
There are an estimated 1,100 Hawaiian monk seals left in the world. The majority of them, about 1,000, can be found in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The rest are found throughout the main Hawaiian Islands.
Kaua‘i Monk Seal Watch Program project coordinator Tim Robinson said there are about 40 to 45 seals on Kaua‘i.
The Hawaiian monk seal population is declining at a rate of about 4 percent a year, according to government officials and scientists.
There used to be three known species of monk seals in the world; the Hawaiian monk seal, the Caribbean monk seal and the Mediterranean monk seal.
The Caribbean monk seal, once abundant, has not been observed in decades and is presumed extinct. The Mediterranean monk seal is in bigger trouble than its Hawaiian cousin; there are only 500 to 600 Mediterranean monk seals left in the world.
In June 2010, the state Legislature passed Act 165, specifically to increase penalties for taking (which is defined to include harassing or killing) a monk seal. It’s a Class C felony that carries a penalty of up to five years’ imprisonment. Someone convicted under this law also can face a fine of up to $50,000. It is also against federal law to kill or harm a Hawaiian monk seal.
Anyone having information related to these deaths should call the NOAA OLE hotline at 1-800-853-1964, or the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement at (808) 873-3990 or 643-DLNR.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.
