KAHEA - The Hawaiian Environmental Alliance

Help Save the Hawaiian Monk Seal from Extinction

Today, we have the opportunity to dramatically improve the survival rate of the highly endangered Hawaiian monk seal. Additional critical habitat is being considered in the newly established Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument and in the main Hawaiian Islands. Protecting these areas from the harm of federal actions is crucial to ensuring the Hawaiian monk seal has a real chance at survival.

What is being decided right now?

Through December 2nd, the federal government is accepting public comment on whether the best available science supports increasing critical habitat designated for the Hawaiian monk seal. This is just part of the multi-step process to pass regulations that would identify and protect areas essential to the survival of the seals.

What is critical habitat?

Critical habitat are geographical areas essential to the protection of endangered species. These areas are identified based on the based available science and then protected from federal activities that would damage the area, such as constructing a federal highway or granting a federal permit for a harmful activity.

Why does the monk seal need more habitat protected?

The Hawaiian monk seal is on the verge of extinction. It is projected that in the next few years there may be less than 1,000 individual Hawaiian monk seals left in the wild. Both the Caribbean and Mediterranean monk seals have been declared extinct. Without dramatic effort, the Hawaiian monk seal will follow the same path. Studies have confirmed that endangered species that have sufficient critical habitat to live on are recovery twice as fast as those without it. Unfortunately, the last monk seal on earth does not have sufficient habitat protected for its survival.

Scientists have confirmed that Hawaiian monk seals forage in waters far deeper than originally assumed. Unfortunately, those waters are not protected from federal activities that could harm the seals' chance at finding food. That is why deeper waters in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument need to be protected.

Similarly, sea level rise may be encouraging more and more seals to visit beaches in the main Hawaiian Islands, especially during pupping season. Yet, there is no critical habitat of any kind for the monks seals in the main islands. These areas are at risk from federal activities - like the construction of a federally-funded highway - that could permanently undermine the monk seals recovery. Designating critical habitat for the seals in the main islands will ensure that none of the billions in federal dollars spent in Hawaii harm monk seals.

How does this affect my use of the beach and ocean?

Designating critical habitat limits what the federal government can do and does not in anyway limit public access to beaches, expand federal control or ownership over Hawaiian waters, or further regulate private activities, like fishing.

What can I do to help?

FIll out the form below and submit your testimony in support of more critical habitat for the highly endangered Hawaiian monk seal. Your voice makes a serious difference in the development of public policy. Now is your chance to make your voice heard.

February 10, 2010

Subject:

Aloha e Mr. Robinson,

Mahalo for considering the people's request to expand critical habitat for the highly endangered Hawaiian monk seal. Additional critical habitat protection is needed to reflect updated evidence of monk seal foraging habits and changes in monk seal population distribution. Critical habitat is one of the most important determining factors in the recovery of an endangered species. I urge you to expand the critical habitat designation for Hawaiian monk seals as soon as possible. Adequate Critical Habitat Is Key to Species Recovery I support designating additional critical habitat for the Hawaiian monk seal because studies have shown that species with sufficient critical habitat are recovering twice as fast as those without it. According to a recent article in the magazine Science, two independent studies have confirmed that having sufficient critical habitat correlated with a greater rate of species recovery. (Stokstad, E., Science, 30 September 2005). Unfortunately, the Hawaiian monk seal is one of those species with insufficient habitat. As the population of this last remaining seal slips to 1,000, the U.S. cannot afford to delay in using every tool in the fight to save the seal from extinction. Please expand the critical habitat designated for monk seals. Hawaiian Monk Seals Forage in Deep Waters Critical habitat should be expanded to included deeper waters, where monk seals forage for increasely sparse food. Though Hawaiian monk seals develop their own unique foraging habitats, locations, and depths, generally speaking they overturn rocks and dig into the sand to reveal prey, such as eel, octopus, and lobster. It was commonly believed that monk seals foraged only in shallow reef habitats, until recent studies show that they regularly forage in waters as deep as 300 meters (Parrish, et al. 2007). To adequately protect the habitat of monk seals, protections should include deep foraging waters, as well. Hawaiian Monk Seals Find Refuge in the Main Hawaiian Islands Critical habitat should be expanded to include the Main Hawaiian Islands because habitat loss in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is leading the seals to re-populate the main islands once again. Monk seals are increasingly populating the main Hawaiian Islands (Baker, 2006). Seals have been sighted on each of the eight main islands. Beach counts continue to consistently identified increasing numbers of seals in the main islands. In 2005, 77 seals were counted in the main islands, while so far in the 2008, over 40 seals have been documented. Considering that monk seals spend two-thirds of their time in the water, it is likely that only one-third of each subpopulation is hauled out at any one time (NOAA, 2008). Adequate protections for the monk seals must include habitat where the seals are currently found and likely to go as populations recover. The increased sightings in the main islands mean the current critical habitat protections must be expanded to include the Main Hawaiian Islands. Thank you for you careful consideration of this important effort to protect the most endangered marine mammal in the U.S.
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