Seal's death shows need for gillnet rules

The death of the 5-month-old pup underscores the need to restrict the use of lay gillnets that kill indiscriminately when left unattended by irresponsible fishers. The state, which has proposed but has yet to finalize gillnet rules, should move ahead quickly.

The pup, dubbed Penelope, the first born on Oahu in eight years, is certainly not the only sea creature to have been harmed by the nets. The cheap monofilament webs trap everything that swims into them, including endangered species like turtles and monk seals. Weighted at the bottom, they also damage coral reefs, breaking off pieces or scraping them.

The rules would limit the size and number of nets, the depths and sites for their use and the amount of time they can be set in the water and left unattended. Nets would be registered and carry identification so owners could be held accountable, though enforcement would have to be beefed up for the rules to be effective.

The rare twin pups, underweight after weaning, were flown to Midway last Monday. They will remain under care until they gain the weight that will better their chances for survival. They are among an estimated 1,200 monk seals left in the world, less the one that died entangled in a gillnet.