Louisiana dolphin found shot dead on beach as $20K reward offered leading to the criminal conviction of unknown individual who may have sought to hunt, harass or kill marine mammal.
Federal authorities have offered a reward of up $20,000 for information leading to a criminal conviction or civil penalty involving a dolphin that was found shot to death in southwest Louisiana.
Federal wildlife officials, in a news release Monday, said a juvenile bottlenose dolphin was found shot to death March 13 along the coast of Cameron Parish. It was found on West Mae’s Beach, and the stranding was reported to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which said a necropsy showed multiple bullets lodged in the dolphin’s brain, spinal cord and heart. The animal appeared to have died from the trauma, which occurred at or near the time of death.
Crime to hunt, harass, capture, kill, or attempt to do so to any marine mammal
Not immediately clear is whether the dolphin’s cause of death was caused by the gunshots or whether the mammal washed up to shores before an unknown individual proceeding to shoot at the stranded dolphin.
The perpetrator who shot the animal, violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act — which makes it a crime to hunt, harass, capture, kill, or attempt to do so, to any marine mammal. Violations can be prosecuted civilly or criminally and are punishable by up to $100,000 in fines and up to 1 year in jail per violation.
Anyone with information should call the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at 800-853-1964. Tips can be left anonymously, but to be eligible for the reward, the caller must include a name and contact information.
NOAA short for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is an adjunct of the U.S Department of Commerce. As part of its enforcement objective, the federal entity as part of its mandate enforces more than 40 laws designed to protect marine life and their habitat. The entity enforces domestic laws and international treaty requirements to ensure global marine resources are available for future generations as part of its mandate.
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement continues to investigating the Louisiana dolphin killing.
