The NGO of defense of the oceans Sea Shepherd promises a reward to anyone who will give useful information on this shooting, which caused the death of the marine mammal.
The story had many twists and turns. On May 30, the body of an orca was found in the Seine with a bullet lodged in the base of the skull. This Sunday, the ocean defense NGO Sea Shepherd promised, in the columns of the Parisian , the sum of 10,000 euros to whoever will provide information on this event and will help find the shooter. Because the fact of slaughtering a protected species such as the killer whale is punishable by a sentence of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 150,000 euros.
“The most likely hypothesis is that of a fisherman’s shot. The practice is unknown, but often killer whales, dolphins, seals are shot, because of the competition for fishing. And as it happens on the high seas, it is with virtual impunity“regrets Lamya Essemlali, president of the association, to the daily. The reward could therefore precipitate the culprit’s downfall. “The strategy has already worked in Finistère“, when sailors who had decapitated seals in Concarneau were apprehended after the promise of a reward, assures the boss of Sea Shepherd.
Died shortly before being euthanized
The story of the killer whale in the Seine caused a stir a few weeks ago. Initially spotted on May 16 near the Tancarville lighthouse, in Seine-Maritime, the marine mammal did not look healthy. The French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) had been alerted because the animal seemed unable to leave the area. After several original attempts to guide the unfortunate – including the emission of sounds resembling the voices of his fellow creatures – the decision was made to end his suffering by euthanizing him. But in the early morning, the orca had been found dead, floating on the surface.
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Towed then hoisted on the bank, the corpse had been entrusted to an osteologist from the National Museum of Natural History. It was he who discovered ammunition in the body of the animal. An investigation was quickly opened, but the circumstances remain unclear. “We only know that the bullet did not cause death, that it was fired from afar because it did not hit the bones, since the tissues no longer bore any trace. The rest is just guesswork», summarizes Sophie Poncet, of the OFB, with the Parisian. How did the beast die? The mystery still hangs.
SEE ALSO – She was to be euthanized, the orca in difficulty in the Seine was found dead