Persecuting the Monks: Caribbean Seals Officially Extinct

Just in time for the unofficial World Ocean Day, NOAA has announced that the Caribbean monk seals have been declared extinct, and humans were the cause. According to the AP story, "Humans hunting the docile creatures for research, food and blubber left the population unsustainable, say biologists who warn that Hawaiian and Mediterranean monk seals could be the next to go."  Given the geography and the fact that it was during Christopher Columbus' second voyage in 1494 that the Caribbean monk seal was "discovered," we North Americans can probably take primary responsibility for losing this species forever.

Okay, so what are the insights here? A few things come to mind. First, the fact that this official extinction declaration actually made national news in the U.S. should provide an impetus to heighten awareness even more about species losses and their implications. One way would be officially to "martyr" each species that goes extinct by human impacts to the higher cause of Earth sustainability. Maybe renaming obscure streets in our major coastal cities as "Monk Seal Boulevard" would be a bit extreme, along with starting a new trend of "Caribbean Monk" names for elementary, middle and high schools across the nation. But national legislation to officially commemorate any species forced into extinction by humans might might be appropriate -- not with a government and bank holiday, but to encourage schools and the appropriate interest groups, along with NOAA and similar agencies, to sponsor events to educate the public.

Second, we can model good behavior in species sustainability management. We now have the opportunity to save two other species of monk seals, one of which is under U.S. dominion in Hawaii. It won't bring back the Caribbean monks, but it gives us the chance to learn from our mistakes and stop similar losses in the future. Apparently, NOAA's Fisheries Service already has a monk seal recovery plan developed for the Hawaiian monk seals, which are at risk from entanglement in marine debris, climate change and coastal development. The Ocean Conservancy specifically focuses on such threats to ocean species and their habitats through four critical objectives that are strategic priorities: (1) restore sustainable American fisheries; (2) protect wildlife from human impacts; (3) conserve special ocean places; and (4) reform government for better ocean stewardship.

Third, we can make it personal by just doing even a few things that might help, like:

• Sign the petition to the United Nations to make June 8 World Ocean Day, which has been an unofficial celebration of the oceans around the world for 12 years;
• Participate in the Ocean Conservancy's action initiatives;
• Make smart seafood choices that support healthy and abundant oceans.