Media Watch, San Jose Mercury News, 1 November 2011
Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft crew members, from Air Station Sacramento, along with biologists and veterinarians from the University of California Santa Cruz load a monk seal into a C-130 aircraft, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2011. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials, Coast Guard representatives and UCSC marine life specialists coordinated the seal transfer to the Waikiki Aquarium in Hawaii. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Seaman David Flores.
A Hawaiian monk seal taken from Molokai after he was found to be nearly blind and interacting roughly with people returned to the islands Tuesday.
KP2 arrived on a Coast Guard flight from California, where he has spent the past two years at a university research lab. Scientists there were examining his eyes and studying his eating habits for research on monk seal metabolism.
The 205-pound seal, which was born on Kauai and briefly lived on Molokai, where he became famous for playing with people at Kaunakakai, will be under quarantine at the Waikiki Aquarium for four to six weeks.
He’ll then move to his new home in the aquarium’s monk seal pool where he will join one more seal on public display. [Continues]
A federal plan to help the survival of the endangered monk seal population ran into stiff opposition Thursday night, especially from Hana fishermen and Native Hawaiians concerned the proposed regulations would hamper their ability to fish.
“Fishing is not a sport in Hana,” said 16-year-old Malia Kahuhu. “We need these fish to eat.” [...]
Those speaking out said the draft regulations could lead to closed-off ocean “iceboxes” – just to accommodate the fish-eating seals they compete with for their supper.
However, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials responded that their proposals would not create closures or restrictions.
Instead, NOAA Marine Mammal Branch Chief Jeff Walters said officials are looking at relocating the seals to promote their reproduction. And, they want to create community partnerships, such as working with fishermen to find sick seals, he added. [Continues]
Turkish NGO SAD-AFAG has confirmed that the release of two Mediterranean monk seal pups took place on 2 April 2011 along the remote coasts between Gazipaşa (Antalya) and Anamur (Mersin), one of twelve “Important Monk Seal Sites” recognised by the government of Turkey in need of protection.
The orphaned pups had been in rehab in Foça since they were rescued in separate locations on the Mediterranean coast on the 18 December 2010.
Two orphaned Mediterranean monk seal pups, under rehab in the Turkish Aegean town of Foça for the last three and a half months, will be released on 2 April, NGO SAD-AFAG has announced [Monk seal pups to be released].
The pups were both discovered on the 18 December 2010 but in separate locations: in the Bozyazı region, Mersin, and the Kas region, Antalya [see Two orphaned pups enter rehab in Foça].
In a brief press statement issued today, Greek NGO MOm announced that Mediterranean monk seal pup ‘Nereus’ had been released into the National Marine Park of Alonnisos, Northern Sporades on Saturday March 19. Although no information was provided on the location, previous releases have occurred on uninhabited outlying islands within the Park.
The 4-month old seal, reports MOm, weighed in at 50 kg at its release. The pup was found stranded on a remote beach on the Aegean island of Kythira on 7 February, and was visibly weak and undernourished when the decision came to transfer him to the MOm rehabilitation 7 days later [Seal pup enters rehab on Alonnisos].
In contrast to previous releases, Nereus appears not to have been equipped with any post-release electronic tracking device (satellite or mobile phone). No explanation was provided in the MOm press statement, nor any indication if any form of post-release monitoring is planned.
Monk seal pup ‘Nereus’, currently undergoing rehabilitation on Alonnisos, is responding well to treatment, and is likely to be released within days, reports MOm.
The 3-month old pup was found stranded on a remote beach on the Aegean island of Kythira on 7 February, and was visibly weak and undernourished when the decision came to transfer him to the MOm rehabilitation unit on 13 February [Stranded pup enters rehab on Alonnisos].
“Nereus now exceeds 40 kg,” reports MOm, “consumes 6 kg of fish per day, and spends the majority of his time swimming. In a few days he will complete his treatment regimen and, upon passing veterinary and blood examinations, will be ready to bid us farewell.”
MOm has appealed for funds to assist its rehabilitation effort.
In an announcement dated 18 February, Greek monk seal NGO MOm announced that a young seal found stranded on the Aegean island of Kythira had been transferred to its rehabilitation unit at Steni Vala, Alonnisos, in the Northern Sporades.
MOm reports that the pup was initially seen hauled up on Feloti beach, Kythira, by a local resident on 7 February. A week later, on 13 February, it received another alert, this time by a Kythira veterinarian, who reported that the animal appeared in distress, the photographic evidence and information provided leading MOm to speculate that the animal had remained stranded for the entire week. First aid instructions were communicated by phone. The young seal, however, failed to show any visible signs of improvement after a further two days, was visibly weak, and failed to react to human presence.
A video released by Turkish NGO SAD-AFAG illustrates how a pair of recently orphaned Mediterranean monk seal pups, undergoing rehabilitation in Foça, Turkey, have been introduced to an innovative bowl-feeding method (in place of the customary and more invasive force-feeding technique). Courtesy: SAD-AFAG.
Monk seal pup ‘Nereus’, currently undergoing rehabilitation on Alonnisos, is responding well to treatment, and is likely to be released within days, reports 
In an announcement dated 18 February, Greek monk seal NGO 
