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An endangered Hawaiian monk seal that was found dead on Molokai in September was shot in the head with a gun, federal officials said Tuesday.
It was the third intentional killing of a monk seal on the rural island in 2021 and the seventh in the past 10 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Two young juvenile males were killed by “blunt force trauma” in April. The cause of death for several other seals on Molokai were inconclusive because of decomposition or the carcasses washing out to sea before examinations could be conducted.
Killing the endangered species is a state and federal crime. Historically, monk seals have sometimes been perceived as a nuisance or competition to people who are fishing.
Native Hawaiian activist Walter Ritte, who lives on Molokai, said the problem is “going from bad to worse” and is rooted in “the misunderstanding that the monk seal is an invasive species brought here by the federal government. But the truth is that these seals have been here before the Hawaiians.”
“They are seen as a pest,” he said.
Hawaiian monk seals, found only in Hawaii, are a critically endangered species protected by federal and state laws. A population of only about 1,400 remains in the wild.
The latest seal to be killed, dubbed L11, was born on Molokai in 2020 and found dead Sept. 19 on the south shore, NOAA said.
Ritte said many residents who rely on subsistence fishing view the seals as competition, but “it’s not an excuse to go around killing them. The seals are trying to survive in the ocean, and the ocean is getting so depleted that everyone is trying to survive with limited resources.”
He noted the monk seal is named in the Kumulipo origin chant and that some families consider it an aumakua, a guardian deity. He urged federal and state officials to do more to educate residents about the monk seal’s connections to Hawaiian culture.
In a news release, NOAA said, “Our Molokai partners are resilient and dedicated stewards of Hawaiian monk seals and other native marine species. We are committed to continuing our engagement with partners and community members to exchange information and support protection of natural resources and cultural traditions on Molokai.”
No arrests have been made in any of the monk seal deaths.
“Make no mistake, folks. These intentional killings are evil, despicable acts perpetrated against an endangered animal in its own natural habitat,” state Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement Chief Jason Redulla said Tuesday during a news conference. “Those responsible must be held accountable.”
He said over the years seals have been intentionally killed across the state but that what makes these latest incidents more troubling is that there have been three on Molokai in less than a year. Redulla said DOCARE personnel are working closely with NOAA to increase enforcement presence on the island.
Killing a monk seal is a felony that carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, he added.
Anyone with information concerning the incident should call NOAA OLE at 800-853-1964 or DOCARE at 808-643-DLNR (3567); anonymous tips may be submitted via the DLNRTip app.
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The Associated Press
contributed to this report.
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