The Hawaiian monk seal — one of the world’s most endangered species and a favorite among Kaua‘i residents and visitors — now has an updated plan to save it from extinction. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service signed
The Hawaiian monk seal — one of the world’s most endangered species and a favorite among Kaua‘i residents and visitors — now has an updated plan to save it from extinction.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service signed a new recovery plan today during a ceremony at Waikiki Aquarium, marking the first time changes have been made to the plan since it was originally drafted in 1983.
Jeff Walters, who works for the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources, served on the team that wrote the new recovery plan.
“It’s really a very scary time,” he said. “There’s a real possibility the species will go extinct in our lifetimes.”
In the past 15 to 20 years, the Hawaiian monk seal population has declined at an annual rate of about 4 percent — leaving the current population at an estimated 1,200 seals, said Chris Yates, NOAA Fisheries Service’s head of protected resources.
The key lies in not only fostering growth of Hawaiian monk seal populations in the northwestern Hawaiian islands — where the vast majority of the seals live — but also in the main Hawaiian islands, Walters said.
Kaua‘i serves as the “hot spot” for seals living around the main Hawaiian islands, he added.
“Of the 100 to 200 that exist in the main Hawaiian islands, most are doing quite well. They’re extremely fat and when they wean they’re very healthy,” he said.
But not so in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands — a “scientific puzzle” the new recovery plan will attempt to answer, Walters said.
“A very low proportion of juvenile seals survive past their second year there and we’re not really sure why,” he said. “It’s in a critical state — they’re not getting to the stage where they’re reproductive.”
Recovery plans are designed to describe the threats facing the species and the actions needed to address those threats, under an Endangered Species Act requirement, a NOAA news release states.
Biologists predict the species will fall below 1,000 animals within the next three to four years, Yates said, placing the Hawaiian monk seal among the world’s most endangered species.
The species is important to protect for its socio-economic value, as it remains a popular tourist draw, Walters said, and for the “basic intrinsic value of wildlife,” as it completes an ecosystem.
Fortunately, Kaua‘i has the most extensive network of volunteers working on behalf of the seals, he said.
Kaua‘i Monk Seal Watch Program members actively assist the government in establishing seal protection zones and answering questions from the public at seal haulout sites, said Tim Robinson, the nonprofit’s projects coordinator.
“The more people know about the Hawaiian monk seal, the better they are protected and cared for,” he said.
U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, who attended the ceremony today, said in a release, the Hawaiian monk seal is the only species of seal in the world whose natural habitat is entirely contained within the borders of a single nation — the United States.
“As a nation, therefore, we bear a grave responsibility — a responsibility that falls most directly on us, here in Hawai‘i, who are closest to this most cherished of marine mammals. I am pleased to report to you that in my estimation, we have risen to meet the challenge… the plan we announce today rests securely on a history of intense dedication and commitment,” he said.
• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com.
