Shark kill proposed to help endangered seals
Permission sought to kill 10 to give Hawaiian monk seals a chance
NOAA via AP file
This Hawaiian monk seal pup was released back to the wild last March, wearing a satellite tag to track its movements. Researchers are trying to save the species from extinction.
The Associated Press
updated 5/24/2007 7:51:17 PM ET 2007-05-24T23:51:17
HONOLULU— Federal scientists want permission to kill Galapagos sharks in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in an effort to save the endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration proposes to kill up to 10 sharks this summer inside the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, where a majority of monk seals live.
More than 140 endangered Hawaiian monk seal pups have been killed by aggressive Galapagos sharks at French Frigate Shoals in the past decade, according to the proposal.
"The consequences of deferring action on this major mortality factor, in terms of the reduced potential for monk seal recovery, are large," George "Bud" Antonelis, protected-species division chief for NOAA's Pacific Islands Region, wrote in the proposal.
Scientists argue that the monk seal is globally endangered but the sharks are not.
Antonelis has requested that his monk seal research team be allowed to fish for and kill up to 10 sharks this summer, targeting aggressive animals they see preying on the still-nursing seal pups.
The request must be approved by NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. The proposal will be discussed at the state Board of Land and Natural Resources meeting on Friday.
Other efforts to save the monk seals include providing captive care to help underweight female pups and researching the diet and foraging habits of seals, said Mike Tosatto, deputy administrator of the NOAA Pacific Islands Regional Office.
The state board last year approved killing up to 10 Galapagos sharks with rifles, but none were killed, said Dan Polhemus, state Division of Aquatic Resources administrator.
NOAA
Galapagos sharks like this one like to hunt seals for food, but the Hawaiian monk seal could go extinct as a result.
Between 2000 and 2005, scientists killed 12 of the sharks by fishing from small boats with a pole and line.
This year, the scientists propose fishing for the sharks with 100-foot-long lines left overnight in areas where the sharks have been seen.
Some scientists object to the method fearing it's too risky for the seals, according to a summary of objections compiled by Polhemus. Those against shark culling say getting rid of a few sharks might not help.
"We face a really difficult situation with monk seals up there," said Polhemus, who has not taken a stance on the proposal. "If they're gone, they're gone. You can't get them back."
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NOAA eyes shark kill to rescue monk seals
Aggressive predators need to be removed, says a federal expert
Star Bulletin, Vol. 12, Issue 144 - Thursday, May 24, 2007
By Diana Leone
Federal scientists desperate to save the endangered Hawaiian monk seal from extinction want permission to kill Galapagos sharks that have been attacking and killing young seals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
With just 1,200 seals left, "the seals are globally endangered while the sharks are not," said Dan Polhemus, state Division of Aquatic Resources administrator.
The proposal to kill up to 10 sharks this summer inside the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is likely to raise impassioned arguments from supporters and opponents tomorrow at the state Board of Land and Natural Resources meeting.
CHRISTINA CHUN /
A monk seal is shown here at the Waikiki Aquarium. A research team is seeking permission to kill a number of aggressive Galapagos sharks in order to help save the endangered seals. CLICK FOR LARGE
Up to 143 endangered Hawaiian monk seal pups have been killed by aggressive Galapagos sharks at French Frigate Shoals in the past decade, says a proposal to kill sharks in order to save seals.
"The consequences of deferring action on this major mortality factor, in terms of the reduced potential for monk seal recovery, are large," George "Bud" Antonelis, protected-species division chief for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Islands Region, wrote in his proposal.
Scientists estimate the entire population of Hawaiian monk seals, a majority of which live in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands encompassed by the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, at 1,200 -- and dropping.
Antonelis is asking that his monk seal research team be allowed to fish for and kill up to 10 sharks this summer, targeting aggressive animals they see preying on the still-nursing seal pups. The request must be approved by all three co-managers of the monument: NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The state Board of Land and Natural Resources will consider Antonelis' proposal at 9 a.m. tomorrow in its conference room at the Kalanimoku Building, 1151 Punchbowl St.
Antonelis was not available for comment yesterday, but is expected to be at the meeting.
Culling particularly aggressive Galapagos sharks is just "one piece of a multifaceted program" that includes captive care to help underweight female pups, researching the diet and foraging habits of seals, and other measures, Mike Tosatto, deputy administrator of the NOAA Pacific Islands Regional Office, said yesterday.
Last year, the state board approved killing up to 10 predatory Galapagos sharks with a rifle, said Dan Polhemus, DLNR aquatic resources administrator. But after a whole summer, there were no kills.
Between 2000 and 2005, scientists killed 12 Galapagos sharks that had been preying on young seals, fishing for the sharks from small boats with pole and line.
This year, the scientists propose fishing for the sharks with 100-foot-long lines left overnight in areas where the sharks have been seen.
Some scientists, including staff at the Fish and Wildlife Service and DLNR, object to that method as too risky for the seals, according to a summary of objections compiled by Polhemus.
Those against shark culling also are not convinced that getting rid of relatively few sharks will help, especially if it turns out other sharks take their place preying on seal pups.
"Clearly, this protocol is controversial," said Polhemus, who is still deciding his position on the matter. "We face a really difficult situation with monk seals up there. If they're gone, they're gone, you can't get them back."