Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 32, Number 9, 1 Kepakemapa 2015 — Protection for monk seals expands [ARTICLE]

Protection for monk seals expands

Endangered monk seals are being protected in more areas after the National Marine Fisheries Service issued a rule protecting almost 7,000 square miles of critical habitat. The rule requires more scrutiny of federally funded or permitted projects along coastal areas. The rule does not interfere with fishing, gathering, swimming or other heaeh activities. The designation affects only federal actions and does not affect state or loeal actions. A coalition of organizations praised the protection including KAHEA, The Humane Society of the United States, Moloka'i Community Service Council, The Center for Biological Diversity, Monk Seal Foundation, Earthtrust, Conservation Council for Hawai'i, Sierra Club of Hawai'i and Marine Conservation Institute. "In the seven years since we filed the petition to designate critical habitat around the main Hawaiian Islands, there has been a lot of critical discussion about how to use environmental regulations to care for Hawai'i's wildlife and coastal resources. We appreciate that discussion and, although we had hoped it would be more comprehensive, we're glad to see the final rule," said Bianca Isaki of KAHEA.