December 1975 Vol. 50, No.6

Pages tell DEAR EDITOR You are to be commended for your October issue of DEFENDERS. As in the classic work of Charles Dickens, David Copperfield in the opening lines begins-Whether I am to be the hero of my CONTENTS life or that that station be held by another these pages must tell. Certainly your open and positive articles have exposed trapping for what it is; you are the heroes of your lives. Rudolph A. Peuhs 459 The Mailbox 499 Pueo (poem) Lynn Haven, Florida Robert J. Western Impact 460 Editorial DEAR EDITOR 500 Hawaii's First Natural Area Not until I opened the front and back covers of 461 Hawaii's Tragic Reserve your October issue into one picture did the full Dismemberment John Mack impact of its terrible message hit me. Wayne C. Gagne I wish this picture could be reproduced in every newspaper in the country. Unfortunately, it will 504 Threatened Butterflies of the probably be seen only by subscribers to DEFENDERS, 471 Hawai ian: An Endangered Sea who are already aware of and angered by the Culture Raymond'~andyNDav~ butchery of innocent animals so their skins can be Nancy Alpert Mower stripped from them to adorn the pitiless human animal. 506 Refuge for Rare Species Ginny Schlageter 476 The Last 00 Palmer C. Sekora Denver, Colorado Delphine Haley 512 Crossroads for Contraband Best ever 480 Reprieve for the Nene Sue Vernon DEAR EDITOR David H. Woodside Your last issue (October, 1975) was by far one of your best ever. Never have the pages of anyone 516 The Trouble with Tourists magazine shown so clearly all animals' right to 482 Living Jewels Imperiled Pat McGorum live. In your magazine I have found all that is Alan D. Hart good: man's desire to help creatures who cannot 520 Hawaii's Only Native Land help themselves and to speak for those who cannot speak. No aspiration could be nobler or closer to 487 Magnificent Minutiae Mammal God. William P. Mull P. Quentin Tomich Joyce Brumitt Kankakee, Illinois 491 Hawaii's Dubious Distinction 521 Green Turtle's Uncertain Future Best yet Andrew}. Berger George H. Balazs DEAR EDITOR I must congratulate you on the October issue of 497 The Monk Seal's Cloistered 524 Hawaii's Endangered DEFENDERS, which just arrived. I've read enough of Life Waterbirds it to see that it is the best issue yet. Special thanks Karl Kenyon Robert J. 5 ha lien berger for james A. Cox's "If You Want to Be Good- join the Big Brotherhood." Maybe he can do one of his epic poems about beavers. Tomorrow morning New jersey small-game sea­ son begins. From then on, my husband and I will spend much of our time patrolling the [Unexpect­ ed Wildl ife] refuge, and we will be witness to many atrocities in the name of "sport." It seems to me your magazine is taking a stronger stand than ever regarding hunting, and I'm glad to see it. Mrs. Hope Sawyer Buyukmihci Wayne Barrett, FIELD CORRESPONDENTS: jonathan Bourne, james A Newfield, New Jersey EDITOR Cox, Fred Dahmer, AI Fick, Herb Gustafson, Raymond "Sandy" Davis, Delphine Haley, james Morgan, Thomas W. Pew, NOTICE FIII.D LIlIH)I< jr., Fred B. Stimson, Sue Vernon, Ted Williams, Norman Myers (Africa), Aj.E Park (Australia). The American Carnivore Series of col­ Dehorah Dlif f. l'llll 01<1,\1 AsS!s I N, I lectors' prints by Paul Breeden, announced (\nna J ."1111('r, COpy FIlII()1< EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD. Dr. Ralph Buchsbaum, in the October, 1975, issue, has been K(OIlI",!h D (;;lp,1(r;(, l'IWllll( liON M.\NN:II< Dayton 0 Hyde, Dr. Richard H. Pough. cancelled. If you have already placed orders, refunds will be made.

continued on page 528 459 Pho to by Geo rge H Balazs Two m embers of endangered species, a monk seal and a green turtle, nap together in the Leeward Islands . by George H. Balazs Green Turtle's Uncertain Future Protection vital if remnant population is to survive

Photo by Robert J. Shallenberger ARLY H AWA lI ANS were well ac­ volcanic pinnacle. Located 480 mi les north­ ----::'~ E quainted with the green turtle, west of Honolulu, in the H awaiian [slands which they called hontl. A second kind of N ational Wildlife R efuge, F rench Frigate sea turtle, the hawksbill or 'ea, was also Shoals is the si te of H awaii's last green­ famili ar to them. T his animal's range a p­ turtle breeding colony and the only one left pears to have always been restri cted to the in the United States. Most egg laying southeast portion of the island chain , and takes place at this location between June presently so few exist that the populati on and August on the 1 I-acre island of East. is nearly extinct. Both of these native or Turtle Island, as it was originall y call ed. turtles, which are referred to in mythology T hus far, I have spent a total of 162 days and illustrated in petroglyphs, were care­ at this remote locati on tagging and cen- fully utilized in the o ld Hawaiian culture using turtles and coll ecting information on to ensure a lasting supply. hatchling producti on. Results of this work, For the past three years , J have worked along with the findings from earl ier tag­ toward gaining a better biological under­ gings by U.S. F ish and Wildlife Service standing of the Hawaii an green turtle. In­ personnel, have made a start in piecing for mation resulting from this research has together the complex natural history of the A hatchling gree n turtle reaches the been used to aid in the conservation of population. Our work has shown that many surf. Eggs hatch 55 to 65 days a ft er these magnificent animals. My continuing members of the seasonal breeding colony laying; the young turtles normall y run field studies are focused on F rench Frigate come from feed ing pastures around the to sea a ft er dark. Th ey are seldom seen Shoals, a 15-mile crescent-shaped atoll that major inhabited islands to the southeast. aga in until they weigh about ten po unds. includes several small sand islands and a Additionally, some turtles have been found 521 \

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Photo by D L Olsen Adult Hawa iian green turtles basking o n the sa nd at Fre n ch Fr igate Shoals, the o n ly nesting colony in the United States . to travel to the breed ing site fro m around After four mo nths in these i la nd , the crew turbance of critical habitat. But this was the sma ll isla nds no rthwest of French o f the schooner Ada had k il lcd marc than certain ly not thc case. During the 1923 Frigate hoal . Beca use no tagged a nimals 400 turtles, as well as ma ny monk seals a nd ne ·ting sea o n, a scienti fic expediti on visit­ have been recovered from anywhere outs ide seabirds. Ironically, at Laysan Island, a ing F rench F rigatc Shoals found evidence the chain , it a ppears that H awaii has o ne of sign was fo und that appealcd to voyagers of a recent turtle slaughte r. In 1926, a com­ the few C helollia populatio ns in which pro­ not to take turtles. The sign was repai nted mercial fi shi ng station was established at tection is not com plicated by international before the A da left, but 130 basking turtles Pea rl a nd H crmes Reef, a n impo rtant bask­ mi grations. T hi s factor is a major problem were nevertheless removed from th e beaches. in g a nd fecding sitc for Hawaii an Chelonia. in efforts to conserve green turtles in o ther T urtles were also regula rly killed during The station remained active until 193 1, and parts of the world. this period to provide food fo r rcsident d uring those year turtles werc exploited With both the fecding pas ture ' a nd breed­ gua no miners, Japanese fea ther hunters, a nd both at that locatio n a nd at Li sia nski I land, i ng gro unds under the jurisdiction of a sin gle numerous shipwreck victims. One account 145 mi les to the southeast. Between 1930 country, o ne would hope to fi nd a healthy states that several hundred were eaten by a nd 1940, U .S. mil ita ry exercises were reg­ populatio n that has not undergone ecologic the crew of a si ngle whaling vessel w recked ula rly conducted at F rench Frigate Shoal decline. U nfortunately, H awaii 's green at . French Frigate Shoals in 1888. When East Is la nd was the base fo r these opera­ turtles have neverthcle s experienced serio us the ba rque Wandering Minslrel captured tions, wh ich included seaplane ru nways in los es and , in ma ny ways, reflect the global turtles at French Frigate Shoals during the . adjacent waters and encampments of 150 problem. A lthough events contributing to 189 1 breeding season, o ne island alone wa tents or mo re. During the early 1940s, re­ the H awaiia n situation have taken pl ace described as havi ng hundreds of turtlcs lated war games involving a rti ll ery bombard­ over a ISO-year period, the la t 40 year basking on the beaches and at least ten ment werc carried o ut a t both French have been the most deva tatin g. times that ma ny in the water. To provide F ri gate Shoals a nd Pearl a nd Hermes Reef. At the time of Captain Cook's arrival in a modcrn comparison, durin g the 1975 sea­ A lthough la rge numbers of turtles may not 1778, native Hawaiia ns were unaware of son, r fou nd no more tha n 35 bask ing turtl es have bee n d irectly killed by the e activitie , the mal l isla nds no rthwest of Nihoa. Fol­ on a ny single isla nd. disturbances of such magnitude contributed lowing the discovery of these un inha bited P rimarily d ue to the massive destruction to the decline, particularly at the breeding areas by foreign ex pl orers during the late of nesting eabirds by feather hunters, al l of site. In 1942, a mi lita ry air statio n was 1700s and earl y 1800s, visits involvin g wi ld­ the northwestern isla nds exccpt Midway a nd constructed at Frcnch Frigate Shoals. The life exploitation beca me common. Altho ugh Kaul a were set aside as a fcdcral wild life a rea utili zed for th is facili ty was Tern information is scarce on the actual number refuge in 1909. T his far-sighted conserva­ Isla nd, a small I t -acre site ori ginally very of turtles taken, th e log of one exped ition tion measure sho uld have put a top to the si m il a r in appearance to East Island. After in 1 82 suggests that it was considerable. killing of turtles a nd prevented the dis- ma sive dredging a nd la ndfill operation 522 were completed, the "new" Tern Island N THE MAJOR inhabited islands to the Ceorge H. Balazs is a research biolo­ encompassed 57 acres of packed coral and I southeast, an important green turtle­ gist with the Hawaii Institute of sand held in place with iron pilings. I have breeding colony formerly nested on Lanai. Marine Biology. Supported by the Fish estimated that this single project destroyed This site last hosted animals in the 1920s and Wildlife Service, he has studied 19 percent of Hawaii's total acceptable and probably represented a more recent the green turtle breeding colony at green turtle nesting habitat. colonization than the geologically older French Frigate Shoals. Further degradation of the ancestral area of French Frigate Shoals. Several breeding grounds was yet to follow. In select beaches on Molokai, Oahu, and 1944, a radio-transmitting navigation sta­ Kauai were also used by Chelonia as re­ fully known. Sport divers, conservation­ tion was established on East Island. Per­ cently as 40 years ago. Today, a single minded fishermen, and longtime residents manent buildings and roads were built, and such nesting anywhere in the major islands described the declines they had witnessed. an extensive antennae ground wire system would be a newsworthy event. Several I received one account from a pilot who was buried over much of the island. It is factors are responsible for these losses of had casually counted turtles in the water difficult to understand why this important reproductive capability. Land development while flying over a comparatively remote II-acre piece of green turtle real estate in and advanced modes of transportation have coastal area for a ten-year period. His the Hawaiian chain was selected for such an made nearly all previously isolated beach observations indicated that a 90 percent incompatible human use. Eight years later, areas accessible to exploitation and dis­ decrease had taken place. in J 952, the station was completely aban­ turbance by man. Additionally, on Lanai In short, overwhelming evidence and doned, and transmitting facilities were con­ in particular, native vegetation has been support existed for the overdue protection. structed on Tern Island, six miles to the significantly altered by plant and animal Among the few dissenters was a small group north. Rotting wood, rusting metal, and introductions, and erosion has occurred. of efficient part-time turtle hunters who buried wire still interfere with turtle nesting These factors have produced changes in were supplying restaurants all over the state at East Island. the nesting habitat. Even if offspring of this breeding colony still remained alive, I with tens of thousands of pounds of meat. In 1946, the killing of turtles at French seriously doubt that the characteristics of In 1974, a state regulation was effected Frigate Shoals for markets in the major the present beach would be acceptable. which prohibited the sale of Hawaiian green islands was greatly simplified. In that year, turtles, but still allowed capture for home Tern Island was opened to commercial fish­ Over the years, hunting pressures have consumption with restrictions on size and ing interests. It would appear that the area's also steadily increased on all sizes of turtles method of capture. The nearly extinct wildlife refuge status was all but forgotten. in feeding pastures around the major islands. hawksbill (Eretmochelys) population was Over a three-year period, flights were made This was brought about by Hawaii's growing given full protection along with the rare between Tern Island and Honolulu to trans­ human population and by the dollar incen­ open-ocean leatherback (Dermochelys) port fish and turtles. At least 200' turtles tive of commercialization. No site could be which occasionally wanders into local were taken by one company involved, and considered safe from the fast boats launched waters. However, proposals for a mora­ turtle meat made up a large portion of the from trailers, modern diving gear, high­ torium on all turtle killing and a systematic fishing crew's diet. Exploitation at the powered spear and shark guns, synthetic tur­ study of remaining animals were unsuccess­ breeding site was reduced after 1949, partly tle nets of great length, and even rifles. It is ful. At this late date in the turtle's dismal due to economic reasons related to declining surprising to realize that before June of history, such a plan seems essential if via­ 1974, the only law relating to the capture numbers of fish and turtles. Sporadic killing bility is to be assured. of turtles for commercial purposes did, how­ of turtles around the major islands was a While waiting for turtles to finish nesting, ever, continue at French Frigate Shoals ban on the use of firearms, poisons, and I have had ample time during the long throughout the 1950s, and it is likely that explosives. Commercial fishing had always nights on East Island to think about what been permitted, and essentially no con­ other northwestern refuge islands were also the future holds for these gentle creatures. involved. servation regulations ever existed to help Certainly the remaining numbers would not protect these unique native animals. In the The last recorded instance of turtles being be able to tolerate any reoccurrence of the early 1960s, turtle killing accelerated in slaughtered at the breeding site took place past abuses. Realizing full well the pre­ order to satisfy the expanding tourist indus­ in 1959, exactly half a century after the carious survival status of all green turtles, try's desire to offer visitors an exotic luxury refuge was established. In that year, a I am nevertheless encouraged by recent food. Green turtle meat was sold as "tasting commercial fishing company destroyed a events that have taken place. A policy something like veal." This description was minimum of 25 percent of the nesting statement issued in April, J 975, by the well suited to the appetites of most tourists females present for the season. One of the International Union for the Conservation who had visions of Hawaiian food consisting "harvesting" methods involved clubbing the of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) of fish heads and seaweed. Visitors were turtles on the head while they were in the officially recognized Chelonia as being in able to return home satisfied at having process of laying eggs. Many shipments danger of becoming extinct. Although sampled the native cuisine, restaurants turned were made to Honolulu before the opera­ carrying no legal power, this action will still a high profit margin, and weekend fisher­ tion stopped abruptly, possibly because of a serve as an important guideline in the for­ men prospered. Everyone seemed to find plane crash. Whole dead animals awaiting mulation of laws in many nations. In addi­ the business rewarding except the Hawaiian removal were left to rot on the beaches tion to the decisive statement by IUCN, the green turtle who was being openly sold alongside the remains of the previously U.S. Departments of the Interior and Com­ down the road to extinction. butchered turtles. In 1964, personnel of merce have recently proposed changes in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were In 1972, efforts were started to inform the law that would give Chelonia full pro­ permanently assigned to Hawaii to admin­ the general public about what was taking tection. While waiting for these necessary ister all of the refuge islands. Since that place and, hopefully, to obtain some form measures to be adapted, each of us can aid time, turtles in the area have enjoyed rela­ of legal protection. Public hearings on the in the animal's survival by refusing to buy tive freedom from destruction and harass­ matter were held over a one-year period derived products and urging others to do ment. and the gravity of the situation became the same. 523