Source: Office of United States Attorneys
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Zackery Brandon Barfield, 31, of Panama City, Florida, was sentenced to 30 days’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a $51,000 fine for three counts of poisoning and shooting dolphins in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. The sentence was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The Gulf of America is a vital natural resource,” said Acting United States Attorney Spaven. “The defendant’s selfish acts are more than illegally poisoning and shooting protected animals – they are serious crimes against public resources, threats to the local ecosystem, and a devastating harm to a highly intelligent and charismatic species. With our dedicated law enforcement partners, we will ensure that the coastal waters remain safe for our citizens and its wildlife.”
According to court filings and statements made in court, Barfield has been a licensed charter and commercial fishing captain in the Panama City area for his entire adult life. From 2022-2023, he poisoned and shot bottlenose dolphins on multiple occasions.
In the summer of 2022, Barfield grew frustrated with dolphins eating red snapper from the lines of his charter fishing clients. He began placing methomyl inside baitfish to poison the dolphins that surfaced near his boat. Methomyl is a highly toxic pesticide that acts on the nervous system of humans, mammals, and other animals, and is restricted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to control flies in non-residential settings. Barfield recognized methomyl’s toxicity and impact on the environment but continued to feed poisoned baitfish to the dolphins for months.
While captaining fishing trips in December 2022 and the summer of 2023, Barfield saw dolphins eating snapper from his client’s fishing lines. On both occasions, he used a 12-gauge shotgun to shoot the dolphins that surfaced near his vessel, killing one immediately. On other occasions, Barfield shot, but did not immediately kill, dolphins near his vessel. On one trip he shot a dolphin while two elementary-aged children were on board, and another with more than a dozen fisherman on board.
“Barfield was a longtime charter and commercial fishing captain,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “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.”
“These cruel and unnecessary deaths may have gone unsolved without the determination and expertise of our investigator and the close working relationship we have with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida,” said Paige Casey, Acting Assistant Director, NOAA OLE Southeast Division. “The subject’s actions were intentional and heartless, and we’ll continue to pursue any harmful acts against marine mammals. Egregious crimes such as in this case have serious consequences.”
Barfield’s prison sentence will be followed by a 1-year term of supervised release.
“We are proud to work alongside our partner agencies to bring Zachary Barfield to justice,” said Captain Mike Godwin, FWC Investigations Northwest Region. “His actions were cruel, illegal, and a threat to the Gulf’s marine life. This case shows the power of teamwork and our shared commitment to protecting Florida’s wildlife and holding offenders accountable.”
The National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation with assistance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The case was prosecuted by Environmental Crimes Section Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan and Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. Ravelo.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Public reporting of crimes is a crucial aspect of law enforcement. If you are aware of a violation of federal marine resource laws or federal pesticide laws, please contact NOAA Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964 or EPA’s National Response Center at (800) 424-8802.