Tag: human-seal interaction

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Scoping comment phone line for Hawaiian monk seal recovery actions PEIS

NOAA announcement

This announces the availability of a toll-free phone number where you can leave your scoping comments regarding the PEIS for monk seal recovery actions for the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) consideration.

If you wish to make verbal comments regarding the PEIS please dial 1-855- HMS-PEIS (1-855-467-7347). After the recorded message please clearly state your full name followed with the spelling, your affiliation (if any), your mailing or email address, and phone number (in case we need to contact you for clarification). The mailbox has a 10-minute limit per message, and if you need additional time we ask that you phone back. The voicemail box is secure and only accessible by select staff on the NMFS project team.

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Save Our Seals

Media Watch, The Molokai Dispatch, 11 November 2010

With a dwindling Hawaiian monk seal population, federal officials are proposing a new plan to improve the survival of the endangered species. However, some Molokai fishermen say they are worried the plan could come at their expense.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is preparing a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) for an action plan that seeks to relocate monk seals to Molokai and other islands.

The NFMS is considering moving recently-weaned female pups from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) to the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) for three years. During this time, the seals would be released among wild pups and be monitored and studied before being returned to their respective islands. […]

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Please Help the Monk Seals!

Media Watch, Heartbeat of Kauai, 26 October 2010

I was at Ke’e beach around sunset today and was horrified to see about 20 tourists with snorkels following a Hawaiian Monk Seal around the reef, yelling to their friends on shore and making a general commotion in the water right near the seal.

Some of them were getting as close as a foot away from the seal and I went in the water to let everyone know that they should stay away from the animal and leave it alone. Nobody listened to me and they ignored my nice requests to give it some space. I’m a pretty gentle person and I eventually gave up and headed back onto the beach where I told my husband what had happened and he became infuriated that these people were harassing an endangered animal for their own entertainment. […]

Anyhow, I am posting this because I feel very passionate about the subject and I encourage all those who read this to speak up and let people know that the seals need space, peace & quiet and protection when you see them approached by tourists on the beach or in the water. If they ignore you, it might help to let them know that it is illegal to get close to the Hawaiian Monk Seals. Thanks for reading this and please do what you can to protect these sacred animal relatives!

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Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Actions

NOAA Fisheries | Office of Protected Resources, 1 October 2010

On October 1, 2010, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Islands Regional Office provided public notice that it is preparing a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) to assess the impacts of implementing specific management actions and administering a research and enhancement program to improve survival of Hawaiian monk seals.

Please read our newsletter for more information regarding the PEIS process and how you can participate.

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Good news/bad news for Hawaiian monk seals

Media Watch, Good news/bad news for Hawaiian monk seals, Earthsky.org, 3 August 2010

Jeff Walters is the Hawaiian monk seal recovery coordinator for NOAA Fisheries Service. Walters said that in the isolated northwest Hawaiian islands, the number of monk seals is declining by four percent every year. That’s the bad news. But the good news is that a smaller population of seals on the main Hawaiian islands is growing and thriving, he said.

Jeff Walters: Over the past few years, we’ve had twenty or more seals born in the main Hawaiian islands every year.

Even though the main Hawaiian islands have a much larger human population, the seals are doing better there because they don’t have as much competition for food, or as many predators, said Walters. But, he added, when people try to feed or play with the seals, it runs the risk of “taming” them, which hurts the seal’s chances of surviving in the wild.

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Pushing for the protections monk seals (and humans) need

Marti Townsend, KAHEA, 30 July 2010

Like a glove across the face, KAHEA and the Center for Biological Diversity sent a Notice of Intent to Sue yesterday warning federal regulators to expedite the critical habitat designation for Hawaiian monk seals… or else.  Critical habitat is the backbone of the Endangered Species Act.  It is the mechanism for shepherding species back from the verge of extinction. Over two years ago, we petitioned the National Marine Fisheries Service to expand the critical habitat designation for the highly endangered Hawaiian monk seal.  And NMFS agreed the seal needed more habitat to thrive. Yet, more than a year since they agreed with us, NMFS is not any closer to protecting vitally important nearshore areas and deepwater foraging grounds for the seal.

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