A longtime charter and commercial fishing captain in the Gulf of Mexico shot and poisoned bottlenose dolphins on fishing trips in front of multiple witnesses, including children.
Zackery Brandon Barfield, of Panama City, Fla., is facing 30 days in prison and $51,000 in fines for three counts of poisoning and shooting dolphins. Barfield, 31, was acting as captain on fishing charters in the Gulf of Mexico during 2022-23 when the incidents took place.
Guilty Plea and Federal Charges
Barfield pled guilty to violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, the Northern District of Florida announced on May 23.
Witnesses and court filings described the acts in which Barfield saw dolphins eating snapper from his clients’ lines and proceeded to shoot the animals with 12-gauge shotguns. He also used federally regulated insect bait to poison them.
On two occasions in 2022 and 2023, he shot dolphins that surfaced near his vessel, killing one instantly. Citing other occasions of similar behavior, authorities said he once shot a dolphin while two elementary-aged children were on board.
Use of Pesticides Over Several Months
According to court filings, Barfield has held commercial and charter fishing licenses for his “entire adult life.” After first noticing the dolphins feeding on his clients’ lines in summer 2022, he began loading baitfish with Methomyl to poison the grazing visitors, authorities said. Methomyl, a pesticide used to control flies in non-residential settings, acts as a neurotoxin in mammals.
Officials claim Barfield “recognized” the regulated substance’s impact on the dolphins and continued placing it in the baitfish for “months.”
Investigation and Law Enforcement Response
The National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation alongside the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Wildlife officials credited the interdepartmental effort in bringing Barfield to justice.
“These cruel and unnecessary deaths may have gone unsolved without the determination and expertise of our investigator and the close working relationship we have with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida,” said Paige Casey, Acting Assistant Director, NOAA OLE Southeast Division.
“The subject’s actions were intentional and heartless, and we’ll continue to pursue any harmful acts against marine mammals. Egregious crimes such as in this case have serious consequences.”
“The defendant’s selfish acts are more than illegally poisoning and shooting protected animals — they are serious crimes against public resources, threats to the local ecosystem, and a devastating harm to a highly intelligent and charismatic species,” Michelle Spaven, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, said in a statement. “With our dedicated law enforcement partners, we will ensure that the coastal waters remain safe for our citizens and its wildlife.”
Barfield will face 1 year of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Read the full article here