Julie Speegle, (907) 586-7032 (office), (907) 321-7032 (cell)
On June 1, NOAA Fisheries received a report of several dead Steller sea lions on a beach near Cordova, Alaska. With operational assistance from a District 17 US Coast Guard helicopter crew, NOAA biologists and law enforcement personnel visited the site where several dead marine mammals were found with wounds indicating they had been deliberately killed.
NOAA officials seek information from anyone with details of this incident. Please call NOAA Special Agent Glenn Charles at (907) 271-1824 as soon as possible. Tips may be left anonymously. NOAA is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to a conviction.
Killing marine mammals is a violation of federal law under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, with limited exceptions such as for subsistence hunting by Alaska Natives. The western population of Steller sea lions is also protected under the Endangered Species Act, which likewise prohibits harassing, harming, or killing listed species, with very limited exceptions. To report a stranded, injured, or sick marine mammal, call (877) 9-AKR-PRD (877-925-7773).
More photos of the Steller sea lion necropsy (non-human autopsy) results are available upon request. Please contact Kate Brogan via email: katherine.brogan@noaa.gov.
