Tourist Igor Lytvynchuk Faces 2 Federal Charges Over Maui Monk Seal Harassment

7 articles · Updated · CBS New York · May 27

Igor Lytvynchuk, 38, is due in federal court in Honolulu after prosecutors charged him with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal on a Maui beach.
Video cited in the criminal complaint shows him throwing a rock "the size of a coconut" at seal R404, narrowly missing its head; prosecutors said he later arranged to surrender in the Seattle area.
His lawyer said Lytvynchuk mistook the monk seal for an aggressive sea lion and was trying to protect sea turtles, adding that he has since been assaulted, threatened and doxed.
The case drew condemnation in Hawaii, with Sen. Brian Schatz urging more public education on monk seals, a critically endangered species with only about 1,600 left in the wild.
If convicted, Lytvynchuk faces up to 1 year in prison on each charge and fines of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act plus $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

With a tourist facing prison for harassing a seal, will this case finally change how Hawaii protects its endangered wildlife?

A tourist claims he mistook a rare seal for a threat. Is he a scapegoat for Hawaii's larger tourism crisis?