Learn best practices for reducing injuries to monk seals when spearfishing, shorecasting, and gillnet fishing.
A 2017 committee comprised of fishermen, and state and federal wildlife managers, developed best practice guidance for fishermen that participate in the three main Hawaiian Islands nearshore fisheries that may interact with monk seals: spearfishing, shorecasting, and gillnet fishing.
Primary concern: Human safety is the key issue regarding monk seals and spear fishermen. As a community, we need to ensure that seals do not learn to associate spear fishermen, nor their catch, as a source of free lunch. Therefore, to prevent future interactions, we stress to never feed seals (intentionally or unintentionally), and encourage fishermen to take steps to prevent seals from taking their catch.
For your safety, never feed!—Don’t teach seals that you represent a “free lunch.”
Prevent seals from taking your fish.
Pull fish in close if a seal is seen.
Report problem seals: (888) 256-9840.
Primary concern: Nearshore hook-and-line fisheries, generally categorized as “shorecasting,” is comprised of numerous gear types utilizing a variety of bait, targeting a range of species. Accidental interactions with monk seals are very rare. Therefore, the best practice guidance to help seals and fishermen is to alert the Monk Seal Response Network if a seal is accidentally hooked. This will allow the network to locate the seal to have professionals remove the hook before it’s too late, or track problem animals. As with spearfishing, never feed seals (either directly or indirectly) to ensure that seals do not learn to associate fishing activity with food.
Take care when casting if seal is in the area.
Fish with barbless circle hooks.
Clean catch away from seals.
Never approach a hooked seal—they are wild animals. Call for help: (888) 256-9840.
Primary concern: Drowning in lay gillnets is a serious concern for monk seals. While some fishermen fish legally with lay gillnets, there is concern about unregistered and illegal nets. NOAA Fisheries promotes compliance with and enforcement of Hawai'i state gear regulations, and encourages calling for help if a seal becomes entangled in a gillnet.
Follow Hawai'i state lay gillnet rules.
Register your net.
Do not leave a net unattended for more than 1/2 hour.
Visually check every 2 hours.
Maximum soak time, 4 hours.
Accidents happen—it's OK to call: (888) 256-9840.
An oceanic whitetip shark swims near the surface of the water. Photo courtesy of John Carlson.
Leatherback turtle in the Kei Islands. Credit: Scubazoo/Jason Isley
Female Hawaiian monk seal RO28, one of the “monk seal matriarchs,” and her pup on Kaua‘i. Credit: Val Bloy
