A Panama City fishing captain was sentenced to 30 days in prison and fined $51,000 for poisoning, shooting and killing dolphins.
Zackery Brandon Barfield, 31, poisoned and shot bottlenose dolphins multiple times in 2022 and 2023. He was known for being a licensed charter and commercial fishing captain in the Panama City area his whole adult life.
Some of these incidents included placing methomyl inside baitfish to poison dolphins and shooting dolphins with a 12-gauge shotgun.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, and NOAA Fisheries, Barfield was frustrated that dolphins were stealing his catch which is why he poisoned the bait.
It is estimated by NOAA Fisheries that Barfield fed poisoned baitfish to 24–70 dolphins on charter trips that he captained.
NOAA Fisheries' Office of Law Enforcement investigated Barfield, and during the investigation, it was discovered that he shot at least five dolphins, with one dolphin confirmed to be dead.
On one trip, Barfield shot a dolphin while two elementary-aged children were on board, and on another trip, more than a dozen fisherman were on board, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida.
“Barfield was a longtime charter and commercial fishing captain,” acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) said. “He knew the regulations protecting dolphins, yet he killed them anyway — once in front of children. This sentence demonstrates our commitment to enforcing the rule of law. It should deter others from engaging in such conduct.”
Additionally, Barfield will have a year of supervised release following his time in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida.
Barfield was convicted on three counts of poisoning and shooting dolphins in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.
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