Author: Editor

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National Geographic pulls monk seal story

Following a complaint lodged by The Monachus Guardian (see Sealed with a Kiss? below), National Geographic has removed a recent picture story on its website featuring orphaned monk seal “Badem”, and National Geographic Fellow Enric Sala.

In reply to our email, Enric Sala stated: “I was shown your email today about this post on the Wild Blog site. When I read the post (which I did for the first time this morning) I was alarmed and asked for it to be removed immediately, which they did. I am well aware of the issues associated with rehabilitation of monk seals, and agree with your concerns… I apologize for any offense that this post may have caused you and our monk seal friends. I will work to make sure that this kind of mistake is not repeated.”

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Sealed With a Kiss?

Press Watch, National Geographic BlogWild, July 15, 2009

If you believe the Beatles, love is all you need. Perhaps … but best bring SCUBA gear just in case.

Badem, an orphaned monk seal that lives just off Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, gives killer hugs—literally!

The affectionate pinniped loves to play with people. […]

Marine ecologist and National Geographic Fellow Enric Sala got called in last year, along with Turkey’s Underwater Research Society (SAD-AFAG), to help teach Badem not to hurt the ones she loves. […]

Full BlogWild article


TMG comment and reply to BlogWild

Ah! for those halcyon days when National Geographic was actually a serious journal, rather than a Disney publication.

Contrary to the impression conveyed in your “report”, rescue and rehabilitation of Mediterranean monk seals — Europe’s most endangered marine mammal — is an issue of crucial importance. With few case studies from which to draw experience, each rehabilitation presents a steep learning curve to those involved — veterinarians, nurses, researchers, volunteers. Occasionally, pups in rehab may become imprinted on their human carers, and — as in Badem’s case — continue to interact with humans after release. One of the keys to remedying this behavioural aberration is to discourage beach-goers and swimmers from playing or interacting with the animal — thereby benefiting both the seal itself and the humans involved. Swimming with monk seals can be dangerous — as attested by the considerable numbers of people who have sustained injuries during such play.

Making light of the risks rather than emphasising their potential seriousness, your picture story only ends up romanticising such interactions, and is therefore the height of irresponsibility (as well as poor journalism).

To  suggest that a National Geographic Fellow was called in “to help teach Badem not to hurt the ones she loves” (i.e. by swimming and interacting with her) is not only an insult to the intelligence but also to all those dedicated people who have been working in monk seal rehab and post-release monitoring over the years.

William M. Johnson, Editor, The Monachus Guardian, www.monachus-guardian.org

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Papahānaumokuākea publishes draft science plan

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands’ Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument has published a draft Natural Resources Science Plan, outlining a range of proposed research programmes aimed at promoting the conservation and recovery of both habitat and specially protected species. Among those species is the critically-endangered Hawaiian monk seal.

“In light of the ever-worsening crisis for the Hawaiian monk seal population,” states the draft report, “a great deal of management-driven research will be conducted to reverse this trend. The Recovery Plan for the Hawaiian Monk Seal (NMFS 2007) lists 11 short-term management actions, many of which will benefit from additional research. These actions include investigating factors affecting food limitation, researching methods to reduce shark predation on monk seals, researching methods to minimize exposure and spread of infectious disease, and investigating and developing response to biotoxin impacts, among others.”

The report can be downloaded at: http://papahanaumokuakea.gov/research

The report is open to public review and comment. written comments should be received on
or before August 10th, 2009, states the PMNM administration, while two public meetings will also be held (see http://papahanaumokuakea.gov for further details).

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Laid-off DLNR worker files suit

Press Watch, Honolulu Advertiser, July 9, 2009

A policy specialist who was laid off from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources last month maintains he was illegally fired because he repeatedly raised concerns about the agency not complying with the same environmental law that sank Hawaii Superferry.

David Weingartner says, in a whistleblower lawsuit filed yesterday, that the department’s Division of Aquatic Resources failed to comply with the Hawai’i Environmental Policy Act as it approved nearly 100 permits since December 2006 for research and other work in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. […]

The approved permits for the marine sanctuary covered a wide range of proposed activities, including the use of so-called bang sticks, a type of firearm, to kill Galapagos sharks preying on monk seal pups, according to Marti Townsend of Kahea, an environmental group that has raised concerns about the lack of state environmental reviews for monument work. […]

Full article

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The Too-Friendly Seal

Press Watch, Molokai Dispatch, June 29, 2009
Not all of the wharf swimmers in this picture are kids. KP2, a Hawaiian monk seal at the lower right, enjoys an afternoon with friends after swimming back from Kalaupapa, where NOAA officials had taken him just two days earlier.
Not all of the wharf swimmers in this picture are kids. KP2, a Hawaiian monk seal at the lower right, enjoys an afternoon with friends after swimming back from Kalaupapa, where NOAA officials had taken him just two days earlier.

Life is good for KP2, a young male Hawaiian monk seal who calls Kaunakakai Wharf his home. Wherever people are, KP2 is sure to be found, whether it’s diving with laughing children or grabbing onto an outrigger for a ride. Some find his behavior annoying, but most are endeared by this bright-eyed, playful creature who prefers human company to hanging out with fellow seals. […]

Abandoned by his mother on Kauai at 24 hours old, KP2, short for Kauai pup two, was found by NOAA biologists. He was raised in captivity for eight months before his release in Kalaupapa last November. A few months later, he appeared at the Kaunakakai Wharf, and a team of biologists and volunteers worked to educate the public about keeping their distance from KP2. [see Freedom at Last for KP2, TMG 12(1):June 2009.]

The team also tried repeatedly to discourage the seal from making the area his home, but with no luck. Finally, on Friday, June 12, NOAA transported him back to Kalaupapa hoping he would socialize with other young seals and “stay wild.” However, in just two days, KP2 had made his way back to the wharf in time to swim with the neighborhood kids before sunset. […]

On July 9, NOAA will make a decision about KP2’s future. Several options are on the table, according to Schofield, but they all involve removing KP2 from Molokai.

Continue reading “The Too-Friendly Seal”

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i-monk Alliance holds second meeting in Gököva Bay, Turkey

© i-monk Alliance
© i-monk Alliance

The International Monk Seal Conservation Alliance (known by its abbreviation, i-monk) held its second regular meeting in Gököva Bay, Turkey on 11-12 June 2009. Gököva Bay is the site of an integrated coastal zone management plan being implemented by i-monk Alliance member SAD-AFAG in association with Turkey’s Environment Protection Agency for Special Areas (EPASA).

i-monk Alliance participants at Gököva Bay. © SAD-AFAG
i-monk Alliance participants at Gököva Bay. © SAD-AFAG

Formally established last year, the i-monk Alliance aims to strengthen ties between monk seal conservation and research projects from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Atlantic, developing common strategies in conservation policy and operational protocols [see International Alliance takes shape in Madeira, TMG 11 (2): November 2008]. Founding and current members are CBD-Habitat (Fundación para la Conservación de la Biodiversidad y su Hábitat) of Spain, IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare), MOm (The Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal) of Greece, The Monachus Guardian (an international journal and website dedicated to monk seals and their threatened habitats), the Parque Natural da Madeira of Portugal  and SAD-AFAG (Underwater Research Society / Mediterranean Seal Research Group) of Turkey.

The Gököva Bay meeting ended with participants agreeing a raft of measures to enhance international coordination, design common operational protocols, develop joint projects, and improve public outreach and lobbying.