The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Services is offering a $20,000 reward for information after a juvenile bottlenose dolphin was found shot to death on a beach in Louisiana last month. The dolphin had multiple bullets lodged in its brain, spinal cord, and heart, and a necropsy confirmed that it died from trauma. The NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the dolphin’s death and is asking for the public’s help in finding the person or persons responsible.
The incident occurred on March 13th at West Mae’s Beach in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. The dolphin’s body was discovered by a member of the public, who alerted the authorities. The NOAA Fisheries Service responded to the scene and conducted a preliminary investigation. The dolphin was then transported to the National Marine Mammal Foundation in Gulfport, Mississippi, for a necropsy.
The necropsy revealed that the dolphin had been shot multiple times. The bullets were consistent with those fired from a firearm. The dolphin’s death was ruled a homicide. The NOAA Fisheries Service is now investigating the incident as a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The MMPA prohibits the hunting, killing, or harassing of marine mammals, including dolphins. Violations of the MMPA can be prosecuted either civilly or criminally and are punishable by up to $100,000 in fines and up to one year in jail per violation.
The NOAA Fisheries Service is asking anyone with information about the dolphin’s death to call the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at 800-853-1964. The NOAA is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the dolphin’s death.
