It's official. But will it help?

The Hawaiian monk seal, that charming but critically endangered pinniped, now bears the state's stamp of approval, designating its importance to Hawai'i's people: It's the official state mammal.

This designation should not be confused with the state's official marine mammal, the humpback whale.

The whale population, once estimated at less than 1,500 in the North Pacific, has surged to between 18,000 to 20,000 in the past few years.

The monk seal's population is about 1,100 and declining by about 4 percent a year.

Unlike the whale, the seal is a uniquely Hawaiian creature on the brink of extinction. Its range is limited to Hawaiian waters, and it has struggled to survive against predators and competitors for food.

Experts say that saving the seal requires aggressive human intervention, including field work in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and facilities to care for wounded and orphaned seals.

The National Marine Fisheries Service pegged the cost at about $7 million per year; this year, the government provided about $2.2 million. So it appears that non-governmental organizations will have to pitch in. Many already have.

These efforts, and more, will be needed if the Hawaiian monk seal is to have a life beyond a symbolic one.