Keiko Bonk, Program Director for Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI) is coordinating a statewide non-government effort called the SOS or Save Our Seal Campaign, that includes Hawaii's key conservation and cultural advocacy groups, as well as individual seal supporters who are building a strong community base network to recover the rapidly declining population of our Hawaiian Monk Seal.
Better protection for the Hawaiian Monk Seal is the goal of new legislation that came up Tuesday at a Senate Joint Committee hearing. Senate Bill 2441, introduced by Senator Gary Hooser, ups the penalty for harming or killing the Hawaiian Monk Seal and all other endangered species in Hawaii. The bill will change the existing penalty from a misdemeanor to a Class C Felony, in response to the recent tragic killings of three critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals.
Hurting an endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal will now result in a felony if newly introduced legislation passes.
Molokai resident Leimana Naki towed a dead monk seal to shore in December near Kahinapohaku Fishpond on the south shore. Two previous monk seal killings were reported on Kauai last spring.
These recent deaths have inspired other legislators to introduce initiatives to protect the monk seal and other endangered species. Senator Mike Gabbard has introduced two conservation outreach initiatives that focus on educating Hawaii’s more than 6 million annual visitors. If passed, a public service announcement for endangered species will be shown on all in-bound airline flights to Hawaii.
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