What is The IUCN Red List?

Established in 1964, The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi, and plant species. The status of The Hawaiian Monk Seal is listed as endangered.

The IUCN Red List is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. Far more than a list of species and their status, it is a powerful tool to inform and catalyze action for biodiversity conservation and policy change, critical to protecting the natural resources we need to survive. It provides information about the range, population size, habitat and ecology, use and/or trade, threats, and conservation actions that will help inform necessary conservation decisions.

The one disappointing fact about this organization is that the list is updated only every 5-10 years. Some of these organisms listed could have significantly increased their population and we wouldn't know by looking at this list. The last updated information for the Hawaiian Monk Seal with several mature adults at 632 was published in 2015! It has been recorded by NOAA that the population has increased to 1,570 in May of 2022. I hope to see a correct updated status of these animals in the future. It is important that we pay close attention to all the listed organisms, they are all very important to the Earth's ecosystem and part of this great planet to naturally sustain life.

Protection

Hawaiian Monk Seals are the focus of one of the most proactive marine mammal recovery programs in the world. Historically, the primary focus of the species’ recovery program was to increase the survival of juvenile and adult female seals in the NWHI. Important recovery efforts include 1) cleaning up of marine debris and toxic chemicals; 2) minimizing human activities that could disturb seals hauled out on beaches; 3) mitigation of shark predation of young pups through limited shark removals or pup translocations; 4) removal and translocation of adult males to mitigate mortality associated with male aggression towards juveniles and females, and 5) regulating fisheries to reduce the likelihood of direct and indirect interactions. A recent analysis has shown that up to 30% of the current Monk Seal population is alive today due to the small-scale mitigation efforts targeted towards individual seals over the past 30 years.