A man who was photographed throwing rocks at a monk seal on Rabbit Island earlier this year was sentenced in Kaneohe District Court on Friday to 80 hours of community service and a $1,000 fine.
Police said Travis Kane, 19, threw rocks at a seal on the island, also known as Manana Island, on Jan. 14. Officers from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement followed and stopped Kane, who was a passenger on a personal watercraft originating from Kailua boat ramp.
The island is a wildlife sanctuary and the public is barred from landing there at all times, according to DLNR officials.
Seals, meanwhile, are protected under state and federal endangered species laws and are known to rest on the beach at Manana. Large, prominent signs are posted around the island informing the public that the area is off-limits.
Kane, who was cited for illegally landing on the island and harassment of a monk seal, pleaded no contest to the counts at his court arraignment in District Court in May.
"We are strengthening our efforts to educate the public — kayakers, stand-up paddlers, fishers, boaters, beachgoers included — that it is a violation of state and federal law, subject to penalties, to harass, harm or injure monk seals, which are an endangered species," said William Aila Jr., DLNR director. "There is no excuse for harming or harassing a monk seal."
Aila said his agency works with "Makai Watch" groups, ocean recreational companies and the visitor industry to get the word out about endangered sea creatures. He also urged people who witness the harassment, abuse or killing of seals to call DOCARE at 643-DLNR or the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement at 800-853-1964.
