LIHUE —The final version of a plan to manage the monk seal population in the Hawaiian Islands has been released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but officials on Kauai have been using many of the strategies outlined in
LIHUE —The final version of a plan to manage the monk seal population in the Hawaiian Islands has been released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but officials on Kauai have been using many of the strategies outlined in the plan for years.
NOAA released its Main Hawaiian Islands Monk Seal Management Plan on Friday, an offshoot of the 2007 Recovery Plan for the Hawaiian Monk Seal.
Kauai is home to 40 monk seals and the key to coexisting with them is education, according to NOAA.
“Overall, I think the plan is good,” said Tim Robinson, projects coordinator with the Kauai Monk Seal Watch Program. “In spirit, and certainly from our educational perspective, it’s been implemented for some time already.”
Jamie Thomton, Kauai’s island coordinator for NOAA, said he’s seen the plan already put to action when it comes to coexistence with the endangered animals.
“Most of the actions that are described in the management plan have been under development and in practice for a number of years,” Thomton said. “Primarily, the management plan is to ensure the recovery of the species, and a coexistence with humans.”
The plan took several years to put together, according to Jeff Walters, wildlife management and conservation branch chief for NOAA, and is the result of the collaboration of different agencies, stakeholders, and people who are out on the ocean and the beaches.
It identifies four main challenges to recovery and management of the monk seal population — infectious disease, human-seal interactions, habitat threats, and human dimensions. Then it outlines six strategies to address those challenges.
“It’s not linear,” Walters said. “Multiple strategies can support one challenge.”
Those strategies focus on the health of the population, partnerships with fisheries, responding to reported seal incidences, engaging the community, education, and building program capacity.
At the heart of all of that is education.
“Once you get past some of the bureaucratic language, the core idea that knowledge is power is what will save the monk seals,” Robinson said. “Education about their role and importance to our marine ecosystem is a priceless ticket toward their survival.”
Robinson said the Kauai Monk Seal Watch Program gives presentations at hotels and at schools. Developing a better relationship with fisherman is another strategy in the monk seal plan.
On Kauai, those relationships are already happening.
Thomton works closely with fishermen on the island and has had “a fair bit of success in reporting when a seal is hooked.”
“If a fisherman accidentally hooks a seal, or turtle, and they’re reported to us (right away) the chances of us catching the seal and de-hooking it is great,” Thomton said. “(The fishermen) don’t want to hook seals and they want to have access to fish and we understand and agree with that.”
The Kauai Monk Seal Watch Program doesn’t stop at education and collaboration with humans. Coexistence is a two-way street and the organization is doing its best to educate the seals as well.
That means keeping them away from inappropriate places, like the keiki pool at Poipu Beach Park. Thomton said that area has been identified as an “inappropriate” location for monk seals because of their proximity to children. So, for the safety of both humans and seals, they are forced off the beach using crowding boards.
“It’s an aversive conditioning technique; we try to train a wild animal not to use that area,” Thomton said.
Kauai is steps ahead of the NOAA management plan, but it is also the testing ground for some of NOAA’s newest coexistence theories.
Walters said one of those strategies is giving the responsibility of monk seal stewardship to the regular beach goers.
“On Kauai, we’re piloting new approaches and we’re not putting up nearly as much ropes, a lot of times it’s just a sign and in some places there’s no sign,” Walters said. “We’re willing to work with every community to find out what works for that particular community.”
