Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOAA Fisheries Service
- Southeast Regional Office
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2006
CONTACT: |
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Stacey Carlson
(727) 824-5780
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NOAA FISHERIES SERVICE ASKS PUBLIC TO PROTECT WILD
DOLPHINS
New Billboard in Nokomis Promotes Wild Dolphin Conservation
Nokomis, Fla. – Recently, NOAA Fisheries Service posted
an eye-catching billboard on Albee Road – a new outreach
tactic for the agency to re-emphasize to locals and tourists that
feeding wild bottlenose dolphins is illegal and sometimes lethal
to the animal. The agency hopes the billboard will reach numerous
coastal resource users and effectively spread their conservation
messages to protect wild dolphins and
encourage people to report violations.
The billboard, which features the message, “Don’t
Feed Wild Dolphins – It’s Illegal and It Kills,” is
part of NOAA Fisheries Service’s “Protect
Dolphins” outreach campaign to boost public awareness about
the dangers of interacting with wild dolphins.
“We hope the new billboard will remind people that feeding
wild dolphins is illegal and can have serious consequences,” said
David Bernhart, Assistant Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries
Service Protected Resources Division in St. Petersburg.
Studies have shown that feeding wild dolphins places them at greater
risk of injury from boats or ingestion of inappropriate food items,
such as fishing hooks and contaminated food. Feeding wild dolphins
can also affect their ability or willingness to forage for food
on their own, making them more dependent on people for handouts
and potentially passing those traits on to their calves and other
dolphins in the area. Dolphins who learn to identify boats with
food because they have been fed by boaters can interfere with recreational
fishing activities, creating dangers for the dolphins and diminishing
the fishing experience for the anglers.
Scientists working with Mote Marine Laboratory (MML) and the Chicago
Zoological Society (CZS) have been studying the dolphin feeding
problem in
the Sarasota Bay area since 1990, and have demonstrated that increased
public awareness can decrease the amount of feeding that occurs.
In 2001, NOAA Fisheries
Service, MML, and CZS conducted a public education campaign specifically
regarding the illegal feeding of a local dolphin, named “Beggar.” While
the campaign was initially successful in decreasing illegal feeding
activities, the Albee Road billboard is an example of NOAA Fisheries’ renewed
efforts to educate the public using innovative techniques that
will deliver a continuous and consistent message.
“Unfortunately, all it takes to perpetuate the problem is
for a few people to continue to feed Beggar and other dolphins
in the area. Hopefully, the new billboard will get the message
through more clearly to those who continue to feed these wild animals,” notes
Dr. Randall Wells, Director of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Center
for Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Research.
NOAA Fisheries Service officials emphasize that viewing wild marine
mammals can be an educational and enriching experience if conducted
safely and responsibly. The agency encourages people to learn about
wild
dolphins and to participate in conservation efforts, such as observing
the animals in their natural habitat from a distance of at least
50 yards.
Feeding and harassment of wild marine mammals are both illegal
under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Harassment, as defined
in the MMPA, means any act of pursuit, torment or annoyance that
has the potential to injure or disturb a marine mammal or marine
mammal stock in the wild by causing disruption of behavioral patterns,
including, but not limited to, migration,
breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering. Violations
of the MMPA can result in civil and criminal penalties with fines
up to $20,000 and one year in jail. NOAA Fisheries Service special
agents and enforcement officers, partnered with state law enforcement
officers, are increasing patrols and investigations to discourage
any illegal feeding of wild dolphins in local waters, and will
apprehend those violating the MMPA.
To report suspected MMPA violations, such as feeding wild dolphins
or harassment, please contact the NOAA Fisheries Service Enforcement
Hotline at 1-800-853-1964.
NOAA Fisheries Service is dedicated to protecting and preserving
our nation’s living marine resources and their habitat through
scientific research, management and enforcement. NOAA Fisheries
Service provides effective
stewardship of these resources for the benefit of the nation, supporting
coastal communities that depend upon them, and helping to provide
safe and healthy seafood
to consumers and recreational opportunities for the American public.
To learn more about NOAA Fisheries Service, please visit: www.nmfs.noaa.gov
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency
of the U.S. Commerce Department, is dedicated to enhancing economic
security and national safety through the prediction and research
of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental
stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources.
Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems
(GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners and nearly 60
countries to develop a global monitoring network
that is as integrated as the planet it observes.
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For more information about NOAA Fisheries’ Protect Dolphins
Campaign, visit:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/education/protectdolphins.htm.
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