Gray seal found shot near Fenwick Island
A juvenile gray seal found on the beach near Fenwick Island was shot by a firearm, officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced May 9.
On April 19, NOAA Fisheries received a report of a juvenile gray seal in Delaware with bite injuries sustained from another animal. The Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute collected the seal alive, then transferred it to the National Aquarium’s Ocean City, Md., facility for assessment. The seal did not survive.
MERR completed a necropsy, which revealed injuries associated with bite wounds from an animal. The seal had also been shot with a firearm.
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the death and is asking the public for any information about who may have been involved. NOAA is offering a reward of up to $4,000 for information leading to a criminal conviction or the assessment of a civil penalty.
Anyone with information about this incident should call the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at 800-853-1964. Tips may be left anonymously, but to be eligible for the reward a name and contact information must be included.
Harassing, harming, killing or feeding wild seals is prohibited under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Violations can be prosecuted civilly or criminally and are punishable by up to $100,000 in fines and up to one year in jail per violation.
Report any injured, entangled or dead marine mammals to the Greater Atlantic Marine Mammal Stranding Network 24-hour Hotline at 866-755-6622.
