The Monachus-Guardian — Headlines-News-Articles — 2008-2018
Dedicated to Monk Seals and their Threatened Habitats
Scientists who planned to kill a monk seal at Kure Atoll can’t find the animal.
They were supposed to leave the island on Thursday, but decided to stay until Friday [12 August] to continue the search for the aggressive male seal. […]
Source: Monk seal to be killed at Kure Atoll reported missing, Hawaii News Now, 12 August 2011
NOAA says it plans to euthanize one and possibly two adult male Hawaiian monk seals at Kure Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands this month to protect female monk seals and pups.
In a news release the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument on Friday said that the male adult seals have been attacking and mortally wounding young female seals and pups at Kure over the last several years.
The news release says, the agencies responsible for management of the Monument are mandated to mitigate potential threats to an endangered species as well as respond to imminent threats and take all specific regulatory actions to aid the recovery of the species. Managers made the decision now due to the severe threat to the population at Kure.
“None of the managing agencies take this action lightly,” said Monument Management Board Chair Dan Polhemus. “The Board is in a very difficult situation with one of the toughest issues we have faced. If we do not take action, we risk additional young female seals being injured or killed by these males, and losing their future potential to reproduce and help increase the decimated monk seal population.” […]
NOAA says it has a five day window to euthanize the seals, the last day being August 10.
Source: NOAA plans to euthanize “rogue” monk seals, Hawaii News Now, 6 August 2011.
Hawaiian monk seals have plenty to worry about these days, what with a sea full of hungry sharks and a long history of being hunted by humans — but now antics of rowdy teenagers has been added to that list. Last March, 19-year-old Cameron Cayaban saw one of the endangered seals and acted on a very bad idea: he ran up to the protected species and slapped it. The seal, undoubtedly confused by the offense, returned to the sea. Cameron, on the other hand, found himself in court.
Little did the seal-slapper realize that the animal had a name, and more than a few powerful friends watching out for it. There were a group of volunteer seal observers that day on Kalaeloa’s White Plains Beach, where the incident occurred, and they reported what young Cameron had done to Kermit (that’s the seal) to local military police. [Continues]
Source: Teenager to Pay $100 for Slapping, Endangered Seal, Treehugger, 23 June 2011.
NOAA’s Fisheries Service has proposed 16 areas as critical habitat for the endangered Hawaiian monk seal under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and is inviting public comment. The proposed revision includes expanding the 1988 critical habitat designation in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and adding new areas throughout the main Hawaiian Islands.
In July 2008, NOAA Fisheries Service received a petition from non-governmental organizations to revise the Hawaiian monk seal critical habitat designation under the ESA. In June 2009, NOAA Fisheries Service released a 12-month finding, which is one step in the review process, announcing that the petition presented substantial scientific information indicating that a revision to the current critical habitat designation was warranted and announced its intention to move forward with a proposed rule.
Continue reading “NOAA seeks public comment on critical habitat revision”
More than 30 years after 50 critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) died of suspected algal toxic poisoning, the presence of ciguatoxins in living seals has finally been confirmed through a new, noninvasive test.
Ciguatoxins are produced by dinoflagellates, which live near coral and seaweed. The dinoflagellates are eaten by small fish, which are fed on by larger fish that are in turn consumed by predators such as seals and humans. Ingesting ciguatoxins produces an illness known as ciguatera, which produces gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms. [Continues]
Source: Algal neurotoxins found in endangered Hawaiian monk seals by John Platt, Scientific American 2 June 2011
The federal government has proposed to designate more than 11,000 square miles [28,000 sq km] of critical habitat for endangered Hawaiian monk seals. The proposed rule protects beaches and coastal waters on all the main Hawaiian Islands and expands protected habitat in the Northwestern Islands. The proposal responds to a 2008 petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance, and Ocean Conservancy. Hawaiian monk seals are among the most endangered marine mammals in the world, with a population of approximately 1,000 animals. The proposal will protect coastal areas for seals to raise pups and marine waters for foraging.
Continue reading “Critical habitat proposed for Hawaiian monk seals”