Five more sea lions have been found shot to death in the waters near Seattle. The total death count since last month is 11. Investigators say they have no suspects in the shootings. Officials say if caught, the suspect could face fines up to $50,000 and charged for violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The NOAA Fisheries Enforcement says in all 19 sea lions have been killed since the beginning of the year. Theories are that fisherman could be to blame for the gruesome acts. ORCA Conservancy President Michael Harris says, “I think there’s a likelihood there is a concern from people that sea lions are taking salmon and salmon is gold out here in Puget Sound so it’s competition over food.”
While federal law protects the stellar species of sea lion, most of the dead sea lions are the California species which is a whole different story. “There’s actually a loophole that says if you feel threatened by a California sea lion, you can kill them. That’s crazy frankly,” says Harris. The reason this is grabbing so much attention is because NOAA says typically in this area, only one or two sea lions are found shot each year.
Investigators are currently analyzing the bullets found in the animals’ skulls to see whether they came from the same gun. They’re also looking for witnesses.
If you have any information about these killings call 1-800-853-1964.
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