HILO, Hawaii: The National Marine Fisheries Service is holding on of six public hearings for the proposed rule to revise critical habitat for the Hawaiian monk seal in Hilo on Monday evening, August 15th, at the Mokupapapa Discovery Center in the Downtown area.

According to the background provided in the supplementary information of the public hearing notice:

…we propose to revise the current critical habitat for the Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) by extending the current designation in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) out to the 500-meter (m) depth contour and including Sand Island at Midway Islands; and by designating six new areas in the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI), pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Specific areas proposed for the MHI include terrestrial and marine habitat from 5 m inland from the shoreline extending seaward to the 500-m depth contour around: Kaula Island, Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui Nui (including Kahoolawe, Lanai, Maui, and Molokai), and Hawaii (except those areas that have been identified as not included in the designation). We propose to exclude the following areas from designation because the national security benefits of exclusion outweigh the benefits of inclusion, and exclusion will not result in extinction of the species: Kingfisher Underwater Training area in marine areas off the northeast coast of Niihau; Pacific Missile Range Facility Main Base at Barking Sands, Kauai; Pacific Missile Range Facility Offshore Areas in marine areas off the western coast of Kauai; the Naval Defensive Sea Area and Puuloa Underwater Training Range in marine areas outside Pearl Harbor, Oahu; and the Shallow Water Minefield Sonar Training Range off the western coast of Kahoolawe in the Maui Nui area. In addition we are soliciting comments on all aspects of the proposal, including information on the economic, national security, and other relevant impacts. We will consider additional information received prior to making a final decision on critical habitat designation.

A joint media alert provided by the Center for Biological Diversity and KAHEA, the Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance:

The proposed rule will protect beaches and coastal waters on all the main Hawaiian Islands and expand 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.

“New habitat protections could be a lifeline for endangered monk seals, protecting Hawaii’s clean beaches and coastal waters,” said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director at the Center.

Studies have shown that endangered wildlife with habitat protections are twice as likely to be recovering as those without. The proposed rule expands the current critical habitat area for the Hawaiian monk seal in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to include deeper waters. It also designates new areas on all of the main Hawaiian Islands: Ni’ihau, Kaua’i, O’ahu, Moloka’i, Lāna’i, Kaho’olawe, Maui and Hawaii. Areas protected would include coastal land up to five meters inland and waters out to 500 meters in depth, with certain exclusions.

“The hearings are an opportunity to speak up in favor of protecting our beaches and reefs not only for monk seals, but also for Hawaii’s paddlers, fishers, surfers and all people of these islands,” said Marti Townsend of KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance.

The two Big Island meetings:

Monday, August 15 (5:30pm-8:00pm)
Mokupapapa Discovery Center
308 Kamehameha Ave., 109
Hilo, HI 96720

Tuesday, August 16 (6:30pm-9:00pm)
Kahakai Elementary School 76-147 Royal Poinciana Drive
Kailua Kona, HI 96740

March 23, 2011 – Monk seal in Keaukaha

Beach goers at Richardson’s Beach Park in Keaukaha were surprised to see a Hawaiian monk seal basking on the black sand by the waters edge on Wednesday (March 23, 2011).

Volunteers with the Monk Seal Response Team quickly isolated the area around the seal with police tape, and then educated onlookers who stopped by for a closer look.