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Seal Shootings Spark Outrage, Demand for Justice
21 Jul
Summary
- A third seal was shot in the head in Washington state.
- An online petition urges an investigation and charges for seal harm.
- Seals are wrongly blamed for depleting salmon populations.
A concerning pattern of animal cruelty has emerged in Washington, with a third seal discovered shot in the head. This latest incident involves a three-week-old seal pup found near Bellingham. Sealife Response, Rehabilitation and Research (SR3) is caring for the pup and has highlighted that this is the third such shooting in eleven months.
A Change.org petition is now circulating, calling for a formal investigation by NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with the pressing of charges. The petition emphasizes that harming a harbor seal is a federal crime under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, yet no one has been held accountable for these acts.
SR3 suggests that these shootings may stem from a misconception that seals are to blame for salmon population declines. However, according to the Seattle Aquarium, harbor seals primarily consume a diet of fish like sole, flounder, cod, and herring, rather than solely relying on salmon.
