Shark Predation on Hawaiian Monk Seals - Pacific Islands Fisheries ...

warrants questioning if the study design is insufficient to provide statistically or strong
inferential conclusions about the efficacy of the action. These dilemmas have, at times,
polarized stakeholders as political agendas, and agency mandates have contributed to mixed
interpretations of scientific information. Trade-offs in the immediate recovery and ideal
research design of the Hawaiian monk seal provide a real dilemma for scientists and managers
charged with recovery of the species and demonstrate the need to have all stakeholders aiding
in the decision-making process.
Stakeholder Perspectives
Agencies and groups with a stake in the recovery of the monk seal in the Papahānaumokuākea
National Monument shared their perspectives on previous efforts to mitigate shark predation on
monk seal pups at FFS as presented here as a brief contributed abstract. Agencies and groups
included are: USFWS, the Papahānaumokuākea National Monument, the MMC, and the
HMSRT. State of Hawaii DLNR and Hawaiian Traditional Knowledge for the Hawaiian Monk
Seal Recovery Team were represented at the Workshop but did not provide formal
presentations. Each stakeholder or agency perspective is summarized in the form of an abstract
authored by their representative who attended the workshop.
USFWS, abstract authored and presented by Beth Flint
The USFWS, Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and now also Papahānaumokuākea
National Monument, consider the dwindling Hawaiian monk seal populations a serious
situation. National Wildlife Refuges are managed in accordance with the National Wildlife
Refuge System Administration Act, as amended, and other guiding laws and USFWS policy to
conserve species and habitats throughout the United States. One guiding principle is to manage
refuges so that biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health are maintained. Refuge
management is also guided by the use of the best available science in decision-making. Such
mandates have resulted in the refuge placing some constraints on the actions of the monk seal
managers when the risk of damage to refuge wildlife and habitats was determined to be too
high, especially when considered with uncertain alternatives. Additionally, we are concerned
that severe ecosystem modification in the form of large reductions in numbers of any other
native species (including sharks) may not be feasible, may have unintended consequences, and
may not achieve the desired effect. The USFWS supports intervention to recover this species
by using the best practical alternative while minimizing collateral impacts. Given the urgency
of the population decline and impending demographic crisis, the Refuge acknowledges that
decisions are necessary even without all the scientific information we would like, and it may
not be possible to recover Hawaiian monk seal populations without dramatic interventions such
as captive care for particularly vulnerable age classes. Ultimately, there have been occasional
but predictable differences of opinion between Refuge managers and NMFS monk seal
managers directly related to the differing responsibilities of each group, but we recognize that
our overall goals of recovery are the same, and we will continue to work together to reach that
goal.
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