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Estimation of Hawaiian Monk Seal Consumption in Relation to Ecosystem Biomass and Overlap with Fisheries in the Main Hawaiian Islands

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Estimation of Hawaiian Monk Seal Consumption in Relation to Ecosystem Biomass and Overlap with Fisheries in the Main Hawaiian Islands NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-PIFSC-37 August 2013 Estimation of Hawaiian Monk Seal Consumption in Relation to Ecosystem Biomass and Overlap with Fisheries in the Main Hawaiian Islands Rachel Sprague Charles Littnan Jeffrey Walters Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce About this document The mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment and to conserve and manage coastal and oceanic marine resources and habitats to help meet our Nation’s economic, social, and environmental needs. As a branch of NOAA, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) conducts or sponsors research and monitoring programs to improve the scientific basis for conservation and management decisions. NMFS strives to make information about the purpose, methods, and results of its scientific studies widely available. NMFS’ Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) uses the NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS series to achieve timely dissemination of scientific and technical information that is of high quality but inappropriate for publication in the formal peer- reviewed literature. The contents are of broad scope, including technical workshop proceedings, large data compilations, status reports and reviews, lengthy scientific or statistical monographs, and more. NOAA Technical Memoranda published by the PIFSC, although informal, are subjected to extensive review and editing and reflect sound professional work. Accordingly, they may be referenced in the formal scientific and technical literature. A NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS issued by the PIFSC may be cited using the following format: Sprague, R., C. Littnan, and J. Walters. 2013. Estimation of Hawaiian monk seal consumption in relation to ecosystem biomass and overlap with fisheries in the main Hawaiian Islands. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo., NOAA-TM-NMFS-PIFSC-37, 42 p. + Appendices. __________________________ For further information direct inquiries to Chief, Scientific Information Services Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce 2570 Dole Street Honolulu, Hawaii 96822-2396 Phone: 808-983-5386 Fax: 808-983-2902 ___________________________________________________________ Cover: Photograph courtesy of Mark Sullivan, National Marine Fisheries Service. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce Estimation of Hawaiian Monk Seal Consumption in Relation to Ecosystem Biomass and Overlap with Fisheries in the Main Hawaiian Islands 1Rachel Sprague 2Charles Littnan 1Jeffrey Walters 1Pacific Islands Regional Office National Marine Fisheries Service 1601 Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 1100 Honolulu, Hawaii 96814 2Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service 1601 Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 1000 Honolulu, Hawaii 96814 NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-PIFSC-37 August 2013 i ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As the Hawaiian monk seal population has recently increased in the main Hawaiian Islands, it has resulted in increased marine resource use overlap between monk seals and commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries. This has understandably led to questions and concerns about the potential impact of Hawaiian monk seals on the near shore ecosystem and in particular, on populations of marine species that are consumed by humans. In this analysis, we estimated food consumption by the current Hawaiian monk seal population in the main Hawaiian Islands. To put this consumption into context, we also estimated biomass of near-shore fishes, including apex predators, herbivores, secondary consumers, and planktivores, and the biomass consumption by apex fish predators and humans (i.e., fishery landings). Finally, we compared the families of fish found in the monk seal diet and those targeted by fisheries. Major findings: • We estimate that the current population of about 200 Hawaiian monk seals in the MHI consumes around 1300 kg/day (2900 lbs/day, or about 15 lbs/day per seal), which is a maximum of 0.009% of the estimated available prey biomass. • The biomass of apex predatory fish in the MHI near-shore marine ecosystem is estimated to be more than 80 times the biomass of the Hawaiian monk seal population, and apex predatory fish likely consume at least 50 times more biomass daily than the monk seal population. • Recreational and commercial fisheries in the MHI (excluding pelagic species) together are estimated to land ~ 3 times more near-shore marine resources than are consumed by monk seals. • An estimated 27% of commercial fishery landings and 39% of recreational fishery landings (by weight, excluding pelagic species) are from fish families found in the monk seal diet. A full evaluation of the role of monk seals in the marine ecosystem would require a comprehensive model detailing the complex interactions between species, including human fishermen. Given data limitations, this study gives perspective and context to monk seal consumption, with reasonable estimates of ecosystem biomass and other species’ consumption. On this broad level, inter-species interactions are complex and there is no evidence that Hawaiian monk seals have a significant effect on any one species that exceeds the effects of other apex predatory fish or human fisheries. We find no support for assertions that Hawaiian monk seals have an ecosystem-level negative impact on marine resources or fisheries in the main Hawaiian Islands. Our understanding of the ecological interactions between monk seals and fisheries would be improved by better reporting of fishery landings, especially from subsistence and recreational fisheries. Ongoing studies with direct observation of Hawaiian monk seal foraging behaviors will help illuminate potential localized effects. There are other areas where available data can be improved (e.g., assessment of coral reef biota in depths > 30 m), and this analysis will be revisited in the future as conditions and available information change. iii (This page is left blank intentionally.) iv CONTENTS Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... iii 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Questions Addressed in the Analysis ....................................................................................2 2 Analysis.........................................................................................................................................2 2.1 Variables Used in the Analysis .............................................................................................3 2.2 Part A: Available Biomass and Relative Biomass Consumption ......................................... 4 2.2.1 Biomass .......................................................................................................................... 4 2.2.2 Prey Consumption ........................................................................................................ 11 2.3 Part B: Prey Overlap Between Fishery Landings and Hawaiian Monk Seal Diet ............. 20 2.3.1 Composition of Fishery Landings ................................................................................ 20 2.3.2 Hawaiian Monk Seal Diet Data Sources ...................................................................... 21 2.3.3 Overlap of Monk Seal Diet and Commercial Fisheries Landings ............................... 22 3 Discussion .................................................................................................................................. 27 3.1 Consumption in an Ecosystem Context .............................................................................. 28 3.2 Ecosystem vs. Local Scale .................................................................................................. 28 3.3 Data Limitations.................................................................................................................. 29 3.4 Future Directions ................................................................................................................ 30 3.5 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................... 31 4 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 31 5 References .................................................................................................................................. 32 Appendix A – Values Used for Energy Consumption Calculations ............................................. 38 Appendix B – Commercial Fishery Landing Data Summary ........................................................39 Appendix C – Recreational Fishery Landing Data Summary .......................................................41 v vi 1 INTRODUCTION The Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schaunislandi) is the most endangered marine mammal found entirely in U.S. jurisdiction, with only about 1100 individuals remaining. The overall population is in decline, but a small population of seals in the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) has been increasing
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