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Our native Hawaiian monk seal, or “Ilio holo i ka uaua (dog that runs in rolling seas), is our official state mammal and our country’s most endangered seal species. NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service recently reported that the monk seal population remained steady in 2019 at just over 1,400 seals. Just 300 or so of these endangered seals call the main Hawaiian islands home, with the rest residing in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources believes a positive population trend can be maintained if we work together to address the major threats these native mammals face. In the main Hawaiian islands, these threats include a disease called toxoplasmosis, hookings and entanglements in fishing gear, and intentional killings.
DLNR, NOAA’s state partner in monk seal conservation, has taken significant steps over recent months to help our seals and other native wildlife species. The DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) is the state’s primary agency responsible for monk seal conservation. DAR has a new administrator and for the first time in more than a decade, a full leadership team, including three new program managers for environmental protection, and commercial and recreational fisheries.
Two newly hired staff will soon start developing a conservation plan to reduce inshore fishery impacts on monk seals. And with NOAA funding support, DAR will also continue to have five staff persons (located on Kauai, Oahu, Maui and Hawaii island) dedicated to monk seal (as well as sea turtle) rescue response and community engagement. This recently enhanced capacity in our agency reflects how seriously DLNR and DAR are taking the threats facing our monk seals and other endangered aquatic species.
Among the major threats, toxoplasmosis is a leading cause of death for monk seals. This disease is spread to monk seals and other species via cat feces. So far in 2020, toxoplasmosis has killed at least two seals. Toxoplasmosis also affects people. It can cause serious complications in babies born to infected mothers or for people with weakened immune systems.
DLNR remains committed to working with our state and county agency partners to reduce the serious threat posed to seals and people by toxoplasmosis. Cat owners can help substantially by spaying and neutering their pets and keeping them inside. We strongly discourage people from abandoning pets or feeding feral cats.
Another serious monk seal threat is entanglement in marine debris (like ghost nets) and accidental hooking and entanglement in fishing gear. In 2019, NOAA removed entangling marine debris from 14 seals, and removed fishhooks from another 21 seals. Drowning in fishing nets was the most likely cause of death of three young seals in 2019 on Oahu’s North Shore. DLNR will continue to promote responsible fishing and support measures to reduce the impacts of lay gill nets. Fishers are encouraged to use barbless hooks, to keep track of all their fishing gear, and to dispose of it properly.
In the past nine years, 14 monk seals have been killed, apparently intentionally by humans. Aside from being illegal and punishable with large fines and jail time, intentionally killing a seal is harmful to our native ecosystem and disrespectful of our native culture.
We hope everyone will join NOAA and DLNR in caring for our oceans and giving our amazing marine creatures the malama they deserve. We all will benefit from a healthy marine ecosystem.
To report monk seal and other marine wildlife emergencies and sightings, call NOAA’s hotline at (888) 256-9640; to report potential legal violations, call 643-DLNR or use the free DLNRTip app.
Suzanne Case chairs the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.
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