Manatee ‘Cannonball’ Video Individuals under Investigation for Prosecution by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Last week, a very disturbing video surfaced online on Facebook and You Tube showing an individual apparently doing a cannonball on top of a manatee and a young calf swimming near a dock. Now government officials are fighting back on behalf of the endangered and protected species of marine mammal.

Manatees are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as well as The Florida Marine Sanctuary Act. In a statement, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement announced that it is leading a joint investigation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission regarding the video.

The department is investigating possible violations of the Endangered Species Act, and the evidence obtained during the investigation may be forwarded to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida for possible prosecution.

While the statute of limitations of one year for prosecution by the state, may have expired, as this event appears to have occurred over a year and a half ago, possible violations under the federal Endangered Species Act (which has a five year statute of limitations) could be applied. These violations include “take”, which is defined to mean “to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.”

If found guilty, the individuals seen in and who took part in the filming of the video, may be subject to criminal penalties of up to $100,000, or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.