The juvenile monk seal was having difficulty breathing when he was discovered at Kapaa Beach on Hawaii island’s northwestern shore.
Once it was reported Feb. 1, staff from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration mobilized into action. The Coast Guard transported the seal — known as RK68 — to the Waikiki Aquarium to be examined.
Unfortunately, vets found out too late that RK68 (an offspring of a seal nicknamed "Lighthouse Mom") had a fishing hook lodged in his throat, possibly for weeks or months, blocking his windpipe.
He died later that day, marking the first known monk seal death of the year, and the first for Hawaii island.
The lesson learned from the loss of RK68 is that he might have been saved if his hooking had been reported earlier.
The seal was a little over 1 year old and just getting started with his life.
"Reporting of the incidents as soon as possible is the best thing for everybody involved, especially the seal," said Jeff Walters, NOAA’s Marine Mammal Branch chief.
Firsthand details can be valuable, he added, and include such bits of information as where and when a hooking happened and whether it involves the lip or mouth or a swallowed hook.
Oftentimes the reports come secondhand from observers. NOAA officials are encouraging fishermen and ocean users to report a hooked monk seal, even when they aren’t sure if it happened.
"There are probably times when a fisherman does not know he has hooked a monk seal," Walters said. "A lot of these guys are fishing at night, but if they see some fur or something brown — it’s still better if they tell us. They don’t have to be 100 percent sure to call us."
Fishermen and other ocean users can be valuable partners in protecting Hawaiian monk seals, said Marine Conservation Institute spokeswoman Trisha Kehaulani Watson.
Another young male monk seal — RT12 — was saved after being reported with a hook in his tongue on Kauai on Feb. 4.
Vets were able to remove the hook the next morning and release RT12 back into the ocean that afternoon. He is about 2 years old and will hopefully live out his life span of 25 to 30 years.
Monk seal hookings appear to be on the rise, according to NOAA officials. Last year there were 15 hookings reported, with three resulting in deaths. In 2011 there were nine hookings reported and no deaths.
Most of them are young seals that get into trouble because of curiosity and lack of experience, according to Charles Littnan, lead scientist of NOAA’s Hawaii Monk Seal Recovery Program.
Most often, they get into trouble with circle hooks used by shoreline fishermen, he said. When the hooks are baited, monk seals are tempted — after all, it’s a free meal.
Hawaiian monk seals are endemic to the islands and listed as a critically endangered species. Only about 1,100 remain in the wild, with a population decline of 3.4 percent per year. Near the main Hawaiian Islands, they number about 150.
So let us mourn the loss of RK68 and let his legacy be a renewed determination to save more monk seals from his plight. Let us celebrate the rescue of RT12 as an example of what can happen if hooked monk seals are reported earlier.
It is our responsibility to be stewards of our ocean and to protect this endangered species for future generations.
If you see a monk seal with a fishing line coming out of its mouth or in distress, call NOAA’s toll-free, anonymous, 24-hour hotline at 888-256-9840.
Nina Wu writes about environmental issues. Reach her at nwu@staradvertiser.com.
