San Diego Animal Advocates is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people responsible for local sea lion shootings and injuries.
Over the past year eight sea lions were shot on San Diego beaches with gunshot wounds to their bodies, flippers, eyes or faces. Six of those shootings occurred in the past two months. SeaWorld retrieved and treated the animals but had to euthanize them because of the severity of their injuries.
Three other sea lions were hooked by fishermen’s gaffes, and only one of those animals survived. The most recent death occurred Oct. 30.
“Harming a sea lion is a violation of the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act and can result in huge fines, criminal penalties and jail sentences,” said Jane Cartmill, president of San Diego Animal Advocates. “There is no excuse for the abuse of these animals, and the perpetrators must be identified,” she said.
Harming a sea lion is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and can result in civil fines of up to $11,000, criminal penalties up to $100,000 and a year in jail.
The reward is offered from the organization’s Sasha Fund, an account maintained for the purpose of offering rewards in cases of animal abuse or theft. The fund was created over 20 years ago when a Cocker spaniel named Sasha was stolen and ultimately died. Members of the public have donated to the fund over the years to aid investigations of crimes against animals.
Anyone with information on the gaff injuries or shootings should contact special agent Michelle Zetwo, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement, at (619) 557-5494 or call the NOAA hotline at (800) 853-1964.
–U-T San Diego