Caribbean Monk Seal Declared Extinct

Human Hunting Ravaged Species Last Seen In 1952; Other Seal Species Are Also In Danger

(AP)  Federal officials have confirmed what biologists have long thought: The Caribbean monk seal has gone the way of the dodo.

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.

The last confirmed sighting of a Caribbean monk seal was in 1952 between Jamaica and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service confirmed Friday that the species is extinct.

Kyle Baker, a biologist for NOAA's Fisheries Service southeast region, said the species is the only seal to become extinct from human causes.

The seals were first classified as endangered in 1967, and wildlife experts investigated several reported sightings over the past few decades. But officials determined they were other seal types.

The federal agency says there are fewer than 1,200 Hawaiian and 500 Mediterranean monk seals remaining, and their populations are declining.

"We hope we've learned from the extinction of Caribbean monk seals, and can provide stronger protection for their Hawaiian and Mediterranean relatives," Baker said.

The Hawaiian monk seal population, protected by NOAA, is declining at a rate of about 4 percent annually, according to NOAA. The agency predicts the population could fall below 1,000 in the next three to four years, placing the mammal among the world's most endangered marine species.

"When populations get very small, they become very unstable," Baker said. "They become more vulnerable to threats like disease and predation by sharks."

Vicki Cornish, a wildlife expert at the Ocean Conservancy, said the fate of the Caribbean monk seal is a "wake-up call" to protect the remaining seal populations.

"We must act now to reduce threats to existing monk seal populations before it's too late," she said. "These animals are important to the balance and health of the ocean. We can't afford to wait."

Monk seals are particularly sensitive to human disturbance. And the sea creatures have been losing their food supply and beaches, officials say.

"Once Hawaii, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean were teeming with fish, but these are areas under severe fishing pressure," Cornish said. "They'll eat almost anything - shellfish or finned fish - but their food supply is waning and they're in competition with man."

The Caribbean monk seal, first discovered during Christopher Columbus' second voyage in 1494, once had a population of more than 250,000. But they became easy game for hunters because they often rested, gave birth or nursed their pups on beaches.

From the 1700s to 1900s, the seals were killed mainly for their blubber, which was processed into oils, used for lubrication and coating the bottom of boats. Their skins were used for trunk linings, clothing, straps and bags.

The endangered Hawaiian monk seals face different types of challenges, including entanglement in marine debris, climate change and coastal development.

About 80 to 100 live in the main Hawaiian Islands and 1,100 in the largely uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, a marine national monument.

Biologist Bud Antonelis said NOAA's Fisheries Service has developed a monk seal recovery plan for the Hawaiian monk seals.

"But we need continued support from organizations and the public if we are to have a chance at saving it from extinction," he said. "Time is running out."

As for the Caribbean monk seal, NOAA said it is working to have them removed from the endangered species list. Species are removed from the list when their populations are no longer threatened or endangered, or when they are declared extinct.

[downsteamjim]

George Bush has been secretly cooking them to make oil. Now that they are extinct the price of oil has skyrocketed.

[imotorist]

(downsteamjim) Aimless IDIOT!

[sepa2]

Mother nature may not be happy about the excesses of one of her offsprings. Soon she will deliver a strong massage.

[hypnotoad72]

Mother nature may not be happy about the excesses of one of her offsprings. Soon she will deliver a strong massage.

Posted by sepa2
--------------------

Strong massages are therapeutic! :)

[nothappyatall]

"We hope we''ve learned from the extinction of Caribbean monk seals, and can provide stronger protection for their Hawaiian and Mediterranean relatives," Baker said. "

Nah, we never learn, we didn''t learn after the passenger pigeon or the dodo, or any of the thousands of others.

[downsteamjim]

Hey imotorist: Take a laxative and lighten up.

[sear1ngtruth]

"Global Warming," and "Climate Change" are euphemisms for "Extinction Event" and the governemnet knows what''''s coming. They would just as soon you not panic.
Regards,

Posted by Nancy_Naive at 02:07 PM : Jun 07, 2008"

The Earth has been cooling since the watershed year 1998, when global warming alarmists said we were on the edge of the tipping point for unstoppable climate change (climate change is a natural course of events).

As for the "governemnet knows what''''s coming". Give us proof, missy. And learn how to spell while you are at it.
ST

[sear1ngtruth]

"Unless they are the kind that rub you out.
Regards,
Posted by Nancy_Naive at 02:09 PM : Jun 07, 2008"

Oh, you are sooo clever.

Let us see your documents. Show us you are right, and we are wrong.
ST

[sear1ngtruth]

"Please, no. The last thing we need is more steaming piles of downsteamjim or Sear1ng_Truth (an cheap immitation) stinking up the place.

Regards,

Posted by Nancy_Naive at 02:31 PM : Jun 07, 2008"

Oh, like we need climate change another pro-stitute?

[feelfreee4u]

Now if only we could make the following animal scum extinct as well:
Nancy-Naive, McVet, SgtRDS, BrianBWB, and fibonacci. Now, THOSE extinctions would be welcome news to ALL of us.

[darnedsocks]

AWE! BREAKS ME HEART! POOR LITTLE GUYS! SOMEBODY NEEDS TO COLLECT ENOUGH OF THESE SEALS TO START A NEW POPULATION SOMEWHERE, WHERE THEY CAN BE PROTECTED!

[feelfree4u]

Re: "Now if only we could make the following animal scum extinct as well:

"Nancy-Naive, McVet, SgtRDS, BrianBWB, and fibonacci. Now, THOSE extinctions would be welcome news to ALL of us."

Posted by FeelFreee4U at 04:16 PM

If anyone would like to discuss this opinion with my impersonator here, his name is Michael J. Totten ("J" stands for "Jackass"), and he can be found at:

www.michaeltotten.com

[hdinsight]

Humans are responsible for not living in harmony with nature. Ultimately, we will pay the price as our own extinction is inevitable.

[sear1ngtruth]

"Re: "Now if only we could make the following animal scum extinct as well:

"Nancy-Naive, McVet, SgtRDS, BrianBWB, and fibonacci. Now, THOSE extinctions would be welcome news to ALL of us."

Posted by FeelFreee4U at 04:16 PM

If anyone would like to discuss this opinion with my impersonator here, his name is Michael J. Totten ("J" stands for "Jackass"), and he can be found at:

www.michaeltotten.com

Posted by FeelFree4U at 05:49 PM : Jun 07, 2008"

But, you did not refute his arguement.
Interesting.

ST

[fireceos]

Posted by FeelFreee4U at 04:16 PM : Jun 07, 2008

Hilarious. For once, I presume we agree, huh?

[feelfree4u]

Re: "Hilarious. For once, I presume we agree, huh?"

Posted by FireCEOs

Sure we do, Michael Totten. Sure we do.

[sistatee-2009]

I was just thinking the other day, man, I ain''t seen no Caribbean Monk seals in a long time! Where dey at?

[pensacola88]

Wrong species went extinct. Personally, I would have liked to see the Great White Shark gone extinct.

[kwameb-2009]

"gone the way of the dodo"
thats a very zippy way of saying we killed a species with our own hands

[hawksprings]

Of Course, we all know this is all George W. Bush''s fault.

[ubrew12]

HawkSprings said: "we all know this is all George W. Bush''''s fault. "

Fishing for compliments? Just because everything else is GW''s fault doesn''t mean this is. Happened in the 1960s.

[hawksprings]

"Fishing for compliments? Just because everything else is GW''''s fault doesn''''t mean this is. Happened in the 1960s."
Posted by ubrew12

How generous of you for blaming GW for everything else but this.

WooHoo!!! Good riddance to ugly fish-overfeeding shark food.

[neo267-2009]

What we need to do is get rid of, say, 5 billion people or so.

[rushman71]

I guess too many people thought that the song "Save the whales. Shoot the seals." by Cheech and Chong was an order!!!

[rf35]

What we need to do is get rid of, say, 5 billion people or so.

Posted by Neo267 at 07:39 PM : Jun 08, 2008

My thoughts exactly. But just try telling a Neocon or Catholic about responsible reproduction. You''ll get insulted, called names, and generally flamed.
http://www.npg.org

[avigil2]

Aren''t we a great species? This story saddens me.

[rf35]

Does GW stand for "George Walker" or "Global Warming?"
I supported Clinton because HC or HRC weren''t common abbreviations. Barak Obama%u2019s initials are far less fortunate.