Maui’s Mayor Richard Bissen made a public statement in support of Lani, the Hawaiian Monk seal who’s become a local celebrity on the island the past two decades. In a video posted to social media Friday morning, Bissen vowed to prosecute the tourist who threw a large rock at Lani while she was swimming along Front Street in Lahaina.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, May 6, when a group of young women filmed a man from Seattle standing near Lani. Hawaiian Monk seals are an endangered species endemic to the islands, and therefore are heavily protected. People are required to stay no less than 50 feet away from any Monk seal, and 150 feet away from mothers with their pups. The women filming the incident reminded him, told him he was too close to Lani, and he later launched a large rock at the animal nearly hitting her in the head. The incident was reported to local law enforcement, who then found the 37-year-old man matching their description.
“The male was detained, identified and advised of his legal rights. The male declined to make a statement and invoked his legal rights by requesting counsel of an attorney,” according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, who say the investigation has now been turned over to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement for further review and action.
In his video statement, Mayor Bissen vowed to use his resources in the case.
“Like many in our community, I was shocked by what happened. Lani is not just a seal to us, she is part of our ocean ohana in Lahaina,” adding that the community has watched over Lani for years. In 2023, Lani became a focal point and symbol of the island’s recovery in the wake of the Lahaina wildfire when she returned to the same stretch of coast on Front Street where she was attacked this week. “Our connection to the ocean, the land, and the creatures that call Hawaii home is part of who we are. Let me be clear, this is not the kind of visitor we welcome on Maui.”
Mayor Bissen later added, “Behavior like this will not be tolerated. I assure you that I will see to it personally that this individual is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Whether at the county, state, or federal level, there must be serious consequences for anybody that harms or threatens protected wildlife.”
