'Honey Girl' the Hawaiian Monk Seal: the Protection of an Endangered Species

Honey Girl is a popular 15-year-old Hawaiian monk seal who frequents the North Shore of Oahu. She has been a good mother to at least seven pups and has raised three pups consecutively in the last three years. See footage of Honey Girl with her most recent pup here.

Honey Girl in the News

Honey Girl with a fishing hook in her mouth. Source: NOAA

Honey Girl was in the news this past week. She was reported on November 14th to have been sighted 24 hours earlier with a fishing hook in her mouth. It took several days, but she was located and captured on November 17th at Sunset beach on the North Shore of Oahu. She was severely emaciated, covered in algae, and had extensive swelling in and around her mouth and a fish hook lodged in her cheek.

Honey Girl underwent reconstructive surgery in which veterinarians removed about a third of her tongue. She currently resides at the Honolulu Aquarium where she is rehabilitating. She  is doing well and should be released once she makes a full recovery.

Honey Girl found emaciated on Sunset Beach. Source: NOAA

This is not the first time a Hawaiian monk seal has been found in this predicament, in fact, over the past decade National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has responded to 84 hooking related incidents, 14 of which  occurred this year alone! This is a serious threat to the survival of the Hawaiian monk seal, which is a critically endangered species with only about 1,100 individuals left.

A Little Information about the Hawaiian Monk Seal

The Hawaiian monk seal population has declined over 60% in the last 50 years and their population size continues to decrease at a rate of 4.1% every year. In addition to this overall population decline, the survival rate of pups is less than 15%.

The declines in the Hawaiian monk seal population are not solely due to human interactions or entanglement in fishing gear, but also predation by sharks and declines in food sources.

Healthy Hawaiian Monk Seals. Source: NOAA

Although the overall population and the population in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are both declining, the population in the Main Hawaiian Islands is increasing! Although this is great news, it also means that human interactions with the Hawaiian monk seal will likely increase. The Hawaiian community as a result must become more aware of their neighbors in the sea. Both NOAA and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) are strongly urging the local community to keep the Hawaiian monk seal and Marine Mammal hotline (1-888-256-9840) handy. They also advise people to review their guidelines to help fishers avoid seal hookings and entanglements, and reduce fishing gear and bait loss. They also stress the importance of immediately reporting any sightings of monk seals that have been hooked, look malnourished or injured, as well as any human-monk seal interactions. Immediate reporting allows NOAA and DLNR to respond quickly and increases the likelihood of survival.

Marine Conservation Institute Working to Protect the Hawaiian Monk Seal

Marine Conservation Institute advocates for the protection of the Hawaiian monk seal by ensuring adequate federal funding for the recovery of the seal and by building partnerships between the public and federal and state agencies. Marine Conservation Institute is also working on the ground in Hawaii to raise awareness of the plight of the Hawaiian monk seal with local communities, public officials, and tourists.

America's Wildlife Refuges on the Edge of the Fiscal Cliff

Hanging over the celebrations of Thanksgiving this year is the threat of severe funding cuts from the fast approaching Fiscal Cliff. The National Wildlife Refuge System – the largest system of lands and waters protected for wildlife - faces a 10-20% cut to current funding, totaling approximately $50 - $100 million - but the overall economic impact would be much more. A report released today by the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE), a diverse coalition of sporting, conservation and scientific organizations (including Marine Conservation Institute), warns that unless Congress abandons the automatic Sequestration cuts scheduled to occur in January.  The Refuge System could be forced to close refuges and eliminate popular recreational opportunities which many communities depend upon as economic drivers.

The report, Fiscal Cliff Dwellers: America’s Wildlife Refuges on the Edge, highlights the top 10 impacts to the National Wildlife Refuge System should funding cuts of this magnitude be implemented.

1.      Closed refuges and visitor centers;

2.      Loss of hunting and fishing opportunities;

3.      Volunteers turned away;

4.      Lost revenue to local economies;

5.      Increased poaching, vandalism and drug smuggling;

6.      Lost opportunities for birding and wildlife watching;

7.      Spread of invasive species;

8.      Halted habitat restoration and fire management;

9.      Delayed response to natural disaster devastation; and

10.  Terminating a newly initiated inventory and monitoring program.

Marine Conservation Institute is particularly concerned about the cuts' impacts on the recently established marine national monuments.  The refuge portions of the four Pacific marine national monuments constitute one-third of the refuge system; yet, funding to safeguard these national treasures has not followed suit. The Pacific marine national monuments were designated to protect valuable coral reefs, and essential habitat for an estimated 14 million seabirds and many threatened and endangered marine species. “Illegal trespass has already damaged coral reefs and other marine wildlife by way of vessel groundings and introducing invasive species within the monuments,” stated Marine Conservation Institute President, Lance Morgan, Ph.D.  “Continued budget cuts to the System will devastate current efforts to protect and manage these areas effectively."

So, let your Congressperson know that you are concerned about the impacts to our natural resources as our America’s refuges go over the Fiscal Cliff. 

Saving Our Oceans – One Protected Area at a Time

The ocean covers over 70% of the Earth's surface; yet scarcely 1% of that area is  fully protected from harmful human activities such as oil drilling or fishing. Governments, as well as many marine conservation organizations throughout the world, including Marine Conservation Institute, are working to increase that percentage in the coming years through the designation of new marine protected areas (MPAs), and expansion and strengthening of existing MPAs.

Good News!

Last month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a huge expansion of the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary in American Samoa, America’s only true tropical reef sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to many species of federally-protected migratory seabirds and shorebirds, threatened green sea turtles, and endangered hawksbill turtles. Additionally, it provides sanctuary for the giant clam, which is severely depleted throughout the Pacific. 

National marine sanctuaries are special areas of the marine environment set aside for protection and conservation. The sanctuary's management plan required revision due to emerging management issues and updates in science research techniques and technology. The new plan increased the sanctuary from a tiny volcanic bay, barely 160 acres in size, to 13,581 square miles. The Samoan sanctuary is now America’s largest national marine sanctuary. 

One of the emerging management issues was the designation of Rose Atoll Marine National Monument by President George W. Bush in 2009. In the proclamation, President Bush granted the Department of the Interior primary jurisdiction over the land, while the Department of Commerce, which includes NOAA, was given primary jurisdiction over the marine areas in regards to fishing from the mean low water line out to 50 nautical miles.  President Bush called upon the Department of Commerce to initiate a process to add the marine areas of the monument to the Fagatele Bay NMS in accordance with the National Marine Sanctuaries Act.  Therefore, after many years of planning, review, and public consultation, NOAA just recently announced the final management plan for expanded Fagatele Bay NMS, which has been renamed the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa to reflect its expanded boundaries.

What’s Changing?

Name Change.   The sanctuary was changed from Fagatele Bay NMS to the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.

Expansion.  The new management plan for the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa adds five units to the Sanctuary:  Fagalua/Fogama'a, Aunu'u Islands, Swains Island, Rose Atoll, and Ta'u Island.  These areas were chosen for their quality and diversity of the biological resources and the scientific and cultural value of these areas.  This increases the size of the sanctuary from 0.25 square miles to 13,581 square miles. See a map here.

Regulation Changes.  Generally, the regulations were revised to prohibit activities including discharging materials; harming cultural resources; and taking any marine mammals, sea turtles, or seabirds. All in all, the regulations will result in a stronger sanctuary management plan that protects the area’s living biological resources from most human-caused threats. Find out more here.

What role did Marine Conservation Institute play?

Marine Conservation Institute played an instrumental role in identifying, nominating, and advocating for the establishment of Rose Atoll Marine National Monument based on its ecological significance. Read more about our role here.  Also, Marine Conservation Institute provided comments to the Fagatele Bay NMS draft management plan asking for additional protection and expansion of the sanctuary boundaries. We’re delighted that the vast majority of our recommendations have been adopted into law through the new management plans for the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. Read our public comments here.

What’s Next?

The expansion of the Samoan national marine sanctuary is a big win for U.S. leadership on marine protected areas. In one swoop, large areas of the Pacific and sensitive coral habitats and their wildlife have been brought under stronger, more unified management and protection. But disappointingly, due to a moratorium on new sanctuaries (National Marine Sanctuaries Act 2000 Amendments, Section 304) NOAA is unlikely to announce new sanctuaries anytime soon. For the time being, expanding sanctuary boundaries and toughening up the management plans is as much as we’re expecting. Find out more about the National Marine Sanctuaries Act in Marine Conservation Institute’s “The Makings of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act – A Legislative History and Analysis” booklet.

Marine Conservation Institute was very happy to see the expansion of the sanctuary and is committed to identifying, advocating, and securing the protection for additional marine areas for us and future generations. We would love your help along the way, so keep in touch!