AR-News: Federal investigation continues into recent seal deaths

[jim robertson]

http://www.seacoastnews.com/news/03082004/news/4160.htm

Federal investigation continues into recent seal deaths

By Karen Dandurant
kdandurant at seacoastonline.com


PORTSMOUTH - Special agents with the Office for Law Enforcement of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration continue to investigate the 
deaths of four seals in New England confirmed to be caused by human 
interaction and showing signs of poaching for body parts.

A reward of $11,400 for the arrest and conviction of those responsible has 
been offered by private organizations in New England.

"Harming a seal is a violation of the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act," 
said Deputy Special Agent-in-Charge Andy Cohen, of the office’s Northeast 
Division. "It is also illegal to remove parts from a seal, dead or alive, or 
trade those parts unless you have a specifically granted right to do so."

Since July 2003, NOAA special agents have spotted, photographed and taken 
reports of a number of dead seals found along the New England coast, most of 
which likely died of natural causes. Four seal carcasses were confirmed to 
have human-caused wounds, such as skinning and decapitation and other 
missing body parts. These include two recovered at Hampton Beach last summer 
and two recovered in Plymouth, Mass., in January and February.

A fifth seal, found headless in Wells, Maine, is being investigated as a 
suspicious death, although a necropsy was never performed due to the high 
level of decomposition of the carcass.

Biologists confirmed that the seal recently found headless on a beach in Rye 
died of natural causes.

Seals found in New England are not threatened or endangered.

The $11,400 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest 
and conviction of those responsible for this federal violation.

Anyone with information is urged to call NOAA’s anonymous tip line at (800) 
853-1964.

Rewards have been offered by Margarita’s restaurants, Humane Society USA, 
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Coastal Conservation 
Association, Smuttynose Brewery, Hampton Crimeline, Tucker Construction 
Company, Portsmouth Gas Light Co. restaurant, Dawley Construction Company 
and Granite State Whale Watch.

Stranded seals in New England, found dead or alive, should be reported to 
the NOAA Fisheries Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Response Network. 
In southern Maine, call the Marine Animal Lifeline at (207) 851-6625. In New 
Hampshire and the Boston area, call the New England Aquarium at (617) 
973-5247. In Cape Cod, call the Cape Cod Stranding Network at (508) 
743-9548.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 protects seals and other marine 
mammals from harassment - which includes any attempt to feed, shoot or 
approach the animal within 50 feet. Civil penalties of up to $12,000 and 
criminal fines of up to $20,000 as well as imprisonment could be levied 
against those who violate the MMPA.

NOAA’s Office for Law Enforcement is working with the U.S. attorney’s office 
for the District of New Hampshire, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Law Enforcement 
Division of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, the New Hampshire 
Marine Patrol, Massachusetts Environmental Police, and the Maine Marine 
Patrol to solve these crimes.

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Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full 
breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit 
itself to humankind.
Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Peace Prize winner

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