Department of Land and Natural Resources

STATE AND FEDERAL AUTHORITIES SEEK INFORMATION ON MONK SEAL DEATH 

(Līhuʻe, Kaua‘i) – Law enforcement officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and  Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) and the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) are investigating the death of a juvenile Hawaiian monk seal on Kaua‘i. This was reported on Thursday in the Anahola area and the cause of death of this seal is currently unknown. 

Killing a Hawaiian monk seal is both a federal and state crime with severe penalties. Under Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, the state legislature made intentionally or knowingly killing a monk seal a felony…believing these acts are so egregious to warrant a felony penalty. Anyone convicted of this, or other killings of monk seals, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 

Anyone who has information about this is strongly urged to contact DOCARE at (808) 643-DLNR (3567) or use the free DLNRTip app available for iPhone and Android devices. Or call the OLE enforcement hotline at (800) 853-1964. 

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Media Contact: 

Dan Dennison 
Senior Communications Manager 
(808) 587-0396 
[email protected]