HONOLULU (AP) — Two Hawaii residents were fined $20,000 for their alleged roles in the fatal mauling of a female Hawaiian monk seal pup by unleashed dogs, U.S. officials said Thursday.
Hawaiian monk seals are a critically endangered species. Only 1,600 remain in the wild. The loss of a female is a particularly hard blow to conservation efforts because she could have grown up to give birth to pups of her own.
A necropsy by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found the pup known as PO7 suffered puncture wounds consistent with dog bites and hemorrhaging consistent with being shaken by a dog. NOAA’s Office of General Counsel issued the fine on June 11, which didn’t say how the two individuals were allegedly connected to the unleashed dogs. Stefanie Gutierrez, a spokesperson for NOAA Fisheries, said further details were unavailable because “enforcement proceedings were ongoing.
” The accused were fined $20,000 jointly. The pup was born to a seal known as RN58 or Luana. She was seen with her mother for the first time on May 23 on Oahu’s North Shore and reported to be a dog attack victim that same evening.
Those fined have the right to challenge the penalty and request a hearing before an administrative law judge. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources said one of the two individuals was a state parks employee who wasn’t on duty. She reported the pup death to her agency, department spokesperson Dan Dennison said.
The department has started it.