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New Havens for the Hawaiian Monk Seal

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Wednesday 17th June 2009

Following petitions by various conservation organisations, the Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is to have new critical habitat areas designated, thereby helping to conserve its rapidly dwindling population. While the critical habitat designation does not limit public activities such as access to the beaches, construction and fishing, it does, importantly, limit federal government activities, including harbour dredging and federally authorised coastal development. This is the first revision of this species critical habitat in 21 years, and will expand the current designated area around the remote, mostly uninhabited north-western Hawaiian Islands, and also establish new areas around the beaches and waters of the main islands.

One of the most endangered marine mammal species, the Hawaiian monk seal population is currently estimated to number around 1,200 individuals and is declining rapidly. This species faces a number of threats, including rising sea levels flooding beaches, entanglements in derelict fishing gear and shortages of prey at foraging grounds. These threats are most severe around the north-western Hawaiian Islands, where only 20 percent of seal pups survive to adulthood. The expanded habitat designation is therefore vital to ensure that this area receives greater habitat protection. The new main island areas of critical habitat will also play an important role, as the local population of Hawaiian monk seals in this region is in better condition than that of the north-west islands, but does not currently benefit from habitat protection.

While the critical habitat revisions have yet to be finalised, it is hoped that they will provide a lifeline for the Hawaiian monk seal, helping to reverse its alarming decline towards extinction.

The Hawaiian monk seal is not the only threatened pinniped, here are three more examples from ARKive that are considered to be at risk:

Galapagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis)

During the nineteenth century, the Galapagos fur seal was severely impacted by the large-scale, commercial seal hunting that was rampant at the time. By the early twentieth century, the Galapagos fur seal was believed to be extinct, until a small colony was discovered in the early 1930s. Since then, and following the end of extensive seal hunting, numbers have increased substantially.

Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus)()

The Mediterranean monk seal is highly sensitive to disturbance, and centuries of extensive human disturbance have therefore contributed greatly to the collapse of its population. These shy creatures have taken to hauling out in caves to give birth, rather than on developed beaches. With an estimated population size of just 350 to 450 individuals, the Mediterranean monk seal is perilously close to extinction.

Northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus)()

Hunted extensively for its fur, overexploitation by commercial hunters during the 18th and 19th century very nearly led to the extinction of the Northern fur seal. Since that time, numerous treaties and agreements on the management of this species have allowed its numbers to recover, but it remains threatened by marine pollution and entanglement in fishing nets.