Shark Predation on Hawaiian Monk Seals: Workshop II & Post-Workshop Developments, November 5-6, 2008
July 15, 2010
Hawaiian monk seals are facing a crisis, particularly in the NWHI where they are at their lowest level in recorded history.
This technical memorandum is divided into three sections. Section 1 summarizes the proceedings of the second workshop on Shark Predation on Hawaiian Monk Seals sponsored by the Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program (HMSRP) of the Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) and also the Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Section II reviews knowledge to date about shark predation on preweaned and newly weaned monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) pups and NMFS’ mitigation attempts at French Frigate Shoals (FFS) and elsewhere in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). This section also provides a more comprehensive picture of the issues than time permitted at the workshop. Section III summarizes HMSRP’s premises about the nature of shark predation based on peer-reviewed science, inferences, expert opinions, and field experience. HMSRP’s positions on controversial aspects of the issue are stated, and a number of appendices are included that detail plans to be executed in 2009 and mitigation ideas for the future.
Gobush KS. 2010. Shark Predation on Hawaiian Monk Seals: Workshop II and Post-Workshop Developments, November 5-6, 2008. U. S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-PIFSC-21