(WSVN) - Officials have increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of those behind the killing of two dolphins in Florida.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement and agency partners announced that they have increased the reward in the cases to $54,000.
The cases were first announced last month, when biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission discovered a dead dolphin off the coast of Naples.
The creature had been killed by what appeared to be a bullet or a sharp object. Within that same week, officials found another dolphin that had a bullet in its left side in Pensacola.
Authorities are also seeking information on a dolphin found off the coast of Captiva Island in May 2019. The animal had a fatal puncture wound to its head.
According to NOAA, biologists believe these cases may stem from humans feeding the animals, which then leads to them associating humans and boats with food. This can then put them in harm’s way.
Harassing, hunting, killing or feeding wild dolphins, or even attempting to do these activities is prohibited under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Violations can be prosecuted either civilly or criminally, and they are punishable by up to $100,000 in fines and up to one year in jail per violation.
Now, the reward for the case is being raised to $54,000, with $34,000 pledged from NOAA’s partners and up to $20,000 from NOAA themselves.
If you have any information on these killings, call the NOAA Enforcement hotline at (800) 853-1964. Tips may be left anonymously.
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