
Panama City Fisherman Sentenced for Killing Dolphins
Zackery Brandon Barfield, a 31-year-old commercial fisherman from Panama City, Florida, has been sentenced to 30 days in prison and fined $51,000 for illegally killing bottlenose dolphins.

Federal prosecutors say Barfield, frustrated by dolphins eating snapper caught by his clients, poisoned the mammals with Methomyl-laced baitfish and shot them with a 12-gauge shotgun during fishing trips in 2022 and 2023. His actions violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, polluting the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.

Barfield pleaded guilty to the charges and will serve one year of supervised release. Prosecutors called his actions “selfish” and harmful to a vulnerable, intelligent species. Nothing further at this time.
