Survey for individuals

Hawaiian Monk Seal

Ilio holo ikauaua

Public Opinion Survey

Survey for Individuals

Your participation in this survey is voluntary. Any material that might identify you will be destroyed at the end of the study.

OMB Control #: XXXX-XXXX

Expiration Date: xx/xx/xxxx

This survey is being conducted to gather information on the public’s knowledge and opinions about wild Hawaiian monk seals (Ilio holo ikauaua; Monachus schauinslani). The questions in this survey are about the Hawaiian monk seal in the wild rather than monk seals in public display facilities (i.e., zoos and aquaria). Throughout this survey all references to monk seals mean Hawaiian monk seals. The results of the survey will be used to help develop public outreach activities for wild Hawaiian monk seal conservation and to help develop and assess management strategies for dealing with human-seal interactions. Your participation will help provide valuable information.

1. Have you ever personally seen a monk seal in the wild in Hawai‘i (outside of zoos and aquaria)?

	Yes (Go to Q 2)
	No (Go to Q 4)

2. If you have seen monk seals in the wild, how many different times have you seen them in the past five years? (Mark one)

1 time

2-5 times

6-10 times

More than 10 times

3. If you have seen a monk seal in the wild, where? (Mark all that apply)

	Seal was on the beach
	Seal was in the water
	I was on the beach
	I was in the water (swimming, snorkeling, diving, etc.)
	I was on a commercial tour
	I was in a personal /non-commercial boat or other type of watercraft
	Don’t know
	Other (Please describe)____________________

WHAT DO PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT MONK SEALS?

4. What is your level of knowledge about the Hawaiian monk seal?

No knowledge

Small amount

Moderate amount

Large amount

5. Do you think monk seals are native to the Hawaiian Islands?

	Yes
	No
	Not sure

6. Do you think the population of Hawaiian monk seals in general has been increasing or decreasing over the past twenty years?

Significant decrease

Slight decrease

Stable (neither increasing nor decreasing)

Slight increase

Significant increase

Not sure

Hawaiian monk seals are legally protected under Federal and State laws.

7. Prior to this survey, were you aware of any legal protections in place for the Hawaiian monk seal?

	Yes (Go to Q 8)
	No (Go to Q 9)

8. How well do you think the monk seal is protected under current regulations?

Not at all protected

Protected, but not enough

Well protected

Over protected

Not sure

9. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Protection of the Hawaiian monk seal is NOT very important because there are many types of seals throughout the world.

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

Not sure

10. Are you familiar with the Endangered Species Act?

	Never heard of it (Go to Q 12)
	Heard of it, but don’t know much about it
	Somewhat familiar
	Very familiar

11. Do you think that violations of the Endangered Species Act are regularly enforced?

	Yes
	No
	Not sure

HUMAN-MONK SEAL INTERACTIONS

12. People have different opinions about what is considered appropriate behavior around wildlife. Which of the following, if any, do you consider appropriate behavior regarding monk seals? (Mark all that apply)

	Viewing monk seals from 100 ft away
	Viewing monk seals from 10 ft away
	Approaching monk seals within 10 ft on land
	Touching monk seals
	Feeding monk seals
	Swimming close to monk seals
	Shooting at or around monk seals
	Photographing monk seals
	Fishing around monk seals
	Yelling, or making other very loud noises around monk seals
	Trying to scare monk seals away
	Allowing dogs to approach and/or interact with monk seals

13. Do you think it is dangerous for people to approach monk seals on land?

	Yes, for the person only
	Yes, for the seal only
	Yes, for both the person and the seal
	No, if the seal is used to being around people
	No, I think it is safe
	Depends on the situation
	Don’t know / Not sure

14. Do you think it is dangerous for people to swim with or be in close contact in the water with monk seals?

	Yes, for the person only
	Yes, for the seal only
	Yes, for both the person and the seal
	No, if the seal is used to being around people
	No, I think it is safe
	Depends on the situation
	Don’t know / Not sure

15. If you encountered a monk seal while you were on land, what do you think you would do? (Mark all that apply)

	Touch it
	Report sighting to lifeguard
	Report sighting to authorities
	Do nothing
	Other (Please describe) __________________________
	Don’t know / Not sure

16. If you encountered a monk seal while you were in the water, what do you think you would do? (Mark all that apply)

	Swim away
	Swim close to it without touching it
	Touch it
	Report sighting to lifeguard
	Report sighting to authorities
	Do nothing
	Other (Please describe) __________________________
	Don’t know / Not sure

17. Do you think that it is dangerous for dogs to interact with monk seals?

	Yes, for the dog only
	Yes, for the seal only
	Yes, for both the dog and the seal
	No, I think they can interact safely
	Depends on the dog
	Don’t know/ Not sure

18. If you encountered a live monk seal tangled in a net, how would you be likely to respond? (Mark all that apply)

	Do nothing
	Try to cut it free
	Call the authorities
	Don’t know/Not sure
	Other (Please describe) _____________________

19. Do you know which authorities to report monk seal sightings to?

	Yes (Please describe) ______________________
	No

FISHING AND MONK SEALS

20. Do you or any family members in your household fish on a regular basis?

	Yes (Go to Q 21)
	No (Go to Q 27)

21. If you any family members in your household fish on a regular basis, we would like to know why. (Mark all that apply)

	Fish to provide food for my family
	Fish to provide income
	Fish for recreation/sport only
	Fish for recreation/sport and sometimes keep part of my catch to eat
	Fish for recreation/sport and sometimes sell part of my catch
	Other (Please describe) _____________________

22. Do you think that if monk seals are present in an area where you are fishing, you catch less fish?

	Yes
	No
	Not sure
	Other (Please describe) _____________________

23. Do you think that if the number of monk seals increases, you would catch less fish?

	Yes
	No
	Not sure
	Other (Please describe) _____________________

24. If you were fishing and a monk seal became hooked on a fishing line how would you likely respond? (Mark all that apply)

	Cut the line
	Try to get the hook free in some way
	Call the authorities
	Try to scare it away
	Don’t know/Not sure
	Other (Please describe) _____________________

25. Would you be willing to use hooks without barbs while fishing in order to reduce the possibility of hooks becoming stuck in the mouths of monk seals?

	Yes
	No
	Only if required by law
	Only in areas where monk seals are present
	Not sure

26. Do believe that using hooks without barbs would affect fish catch?

	Yes
	No
	Only for certain types of fish
	Not sure

People have various opinions about whether fishing should be regulated to protect monk seals.

27. Do you agree or disagree that regulations for recreational hook and line fishing in the main Hawaiian Islands should be enacted SPECIFICALLY to reduce or prevent monk seals from becoming hooked?

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

Not sure

RESTRICTING HUMAN ACTIVITY AROUND MONK SEALS

28. Do think certain human activities should be prohibited around monk seals?

	Yes (Go to Q 29)
	No (Go to Q 30)
	Not sure (Go to Q 29)

29. Do you think that any of the following human activities should be prohibited in the known presence of monk seals? (Mark all that apply)

	Beach going		Fishing with nets
	Swimming		Boating (motor)
	Surfing		Jet skis/Personal watercraft
	Snorkeling and / or Diving		Water skiing, parasailing and other motorized towing activities
	Kayaking		Other_____________________________
	Spear fishing		None of the activities listed should be prohibited.
	Fishing with hook and line

When monk seals haul out onto beaches that people frequent, an area around the monk seal is often roped off to ensure people do not try to get too close.

30. Do you agree with current practice of closing a portion of the beach surrounding monk seals when they are present?

	Yes
	No
	Not sure
	Other (Please describe) _____________________

Female monk seals select a site to give birth, usually the same each year, and nurse their newborn pup for five to seven weeks. During this time the mother usually remains on land without eating.

31. Do you think it is appropriate to close sections of beach areas that are heavily used by mother monk seals to human activity during the height of the birthing season (March & April)?

    	Yes
    	No
    	Only when a mother and pup are present
    	Not sure

32. If small areas of beach you visit were blocked off from all human activity during periods of the monk seal birthing season, would you consider this a hardship?

	Yes
	No
	Only in certain instances (Please describe) _________________________________
	Not sure

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

33. How did you learn what to do or what not to do when encountering monk seals? (Check all that apply).

	I don’t have any knowledge about what to do when encountering monk seals
	Internet
	Television
	Newspaper
	Magazines
	Radio
	Aquarium or zoo
	Word of mouth (e.g., from friends and family)
	From school – (learned it yourself, or learned it from a child who learned it in school)
	From Federal programs (such as NOAA)
	From State programs (such as Division of Aquatic Resources)
	From law enforcement agents
	From lifeguards
	Other (Please describe)_____________________

34. In your opinion, what are the best methods to help you or members of your household learn about wild monk seal conservation issues? (Mark one number for each category)

	Not at all effective	Somewhat effective	Very effective	Not sure
Educational brochures and pamphlets	1	2	3	0
TV public service announcements	1	2	3	0
Radio public service announcements	1	2	3	0
Print public service announcements	1	2	3	0
Internet	1	2	3	0
Signs	1	2	3	0
Newspaper	1	2	3	0
Boater training courses	1	2	3	0
Workshops or community meetings	1	2	3	0
Social media (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter)	1	2	3	0
School presentations	1	2	3	0

35. How likely are you to read informational signs or pamphlets placed in the following locations? (Mark one number for each category)

	Not at all likely	Somewhat likely	Very likely	Doesn’t apply to me
At parks and beaches in the parking lot	1	2	3	0
At parks and beaches near the shoreline	1	2	3	0
Near life guard stands	1	2	3	0
On city buses	1	2	3	0
In airports	1	2	3	0
With information given when renting a car	1	2	3	0
In hotel lobbies	1	2	3	0
At fishing supply shops	1	2	3	0
At marine recreation gear rental shops (kayak, diving, snorkeling, etc.)	1	2	3	0

36. Do you have any other suggestions on ways to inform and educate people about monk seal conservation issues?

37. Would one of the signs below, if placed near a monk seal, be likely to convince you not to disturb the seal?

	Yes (If yes, please mark the one that would work best)
	No
	Not sure (If not sure, please mark the sign you prefer)
	Both signs would be equally effective

38. Would you be likely to participate in a “beach clean-up”? (A group of people gathering for a few hours to pick up debris and remove it from the beach).

	Yes
	No
	Not sure
	Other _______________________

39. Would you be likely to participate in a one-day, semi-annual state wide monk seal count that takes place every April and October?

	Yes
	No
	Not sure

40. If a healthy live monk seal was found on a beach near your residence or where you are staying in Hawai‘i, what would be your level of interest in participating in efforts to protect that monk seal while it was there?

Not at all interested

Probably not

Undecided

Somewhat interested

Very interested

DEMOGRAPHICS

The following demographic information will be used to help make general conclusions about the survey participants. Any personal information will be destroyed at the end of the study.

41. Which statement best describes your living situation.

	I am a permanent resident of Hawai‘i (Go to Q 43)
	I am part-time residents of Hawai‘i (Go to Q 43)
	I am a first-time visitor to Hawai‘i (Go to Q 43)
	I am a repeat visitor to Hawai‘i (Go to Q 42)

42. Including this current trip, how many times have you visited Hawai‘i?

2-5 times

6-10 times

More than 10 times

43. What type of water activities do you enjoy in Hawai‘i? (Mark all that apply)

	Diving
	Snorkeling
	Fishing
	Swimming
	Surfing
	Boogie boarding
	Kite surfing/ Wind surfing/ Sail boarding
	Motorized water activities
	Lounging on the beach
	Other (Please describe) ______________________

44. Are you a member of any organizations or associations related to the activities below? (Mark all that apply)

	Boating
	Fishing
	Water-based recreational sports (e.g., swimming, canoe club, diving)
	Conservation
	Other (Please describe)_______________________

45. What is your home zip code, or if you are from another country, what is your home country? ____________________

46. What is your sex?

	Male
	Female

47. What is your ethnicity?

	Hispanic or Latino
	Not Hispanic or Latino

48. What is your race? (Mark all that apply)

	Asian
	American Indian or Alaska Native
	Black or African American
	Native Hawaiian
	Other Pacific Islander
	White

49. Which of the following describes your employment status?

	Employed full-time		Retired
	Employed part-time		Currently unemployed
	Self employed		Student
	Homemaker		Other

50. What is the highest level of education you have attained?

	Some high school or less
	High school diploma or equivalent
	Some college, no degree
	Two year degree (AA, AS) or technical school
	Four year college graduate (BA, BS)
	Some graduate work but did not receive a graduate degree
	Graduate degree (MA, MS, PhD, JD, MD, etc.)

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your participation is greatly appreciated! Please use the space below to provide any additional comments.

This survey is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated at 20 minutes, including time for reviewing instructions, answering all questions and returning the survey to the administrator. Please send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other suggestions for reducing this burden to Jennifer Metz, National Marine Fisheries Service, Outreach and Education Specialist, Protected Resources Division, NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814-0047. All responses will be protected and will not be released for public use except in aggregate statistical form (and without providing and personally identifying characteristics). Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.