Puget Sound mystery: Series of sea lion shootings near Seattle prompts worries of landlubber safety
Source: ABC News
Puget Sound mystery: Series of sea lion shootings near Seattle prompts worries of landlubber safety
By BILL HUTCHINSON Nov 27, 2018, 11:05 AM ET
A series of mysterious fatal shootings of California sea lions that washed up on shore in a heavily populated area of Seattle have federal authorities concerned not only the mammals but for residents living near the Puget Sound, officials said.
Of the 16 sea lions that have been found dead in King and Kitsap Counties of Washington state, bullet wounds have been discovered in at least six of the carcasses, according to Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network.
"Some of the animals have been found in the area of West Seattle, which is obviously a pretty populated area. So that's concerning both from the standpoint of the animals and public safety," Michael Milstein, West Coast region spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, told ABC News.
He said NOAA investigators have been probing the fatal shootings since late September when the first in the spate of Northwest sea lion shootings was reported.
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Killing a sea lion is a federal crime under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act, which was passed in 1972.
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Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/puget-sound-mystery-series-sea-lion-shootings-seattle/story?id=59418183