Zackery Brandon Barfield (31) of Panama City, FL was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment, a $51,000 fine, and one-year supervised release for poisoning and shooting dolphins. 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. Barfield recognized methomyl's toxicity and impact on the environment but continued to feed poisoned baitfish to the dolphins for months. Barfield also used a 12-gauge shotgun to shoot the defenseless 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 the maniac shot an innocent dolphin while two elementary-aged children were on board, and another with more than a dozen fisherman on board.

Dolphins have highly developed language abilities and can learn complicated tricks while acting on TV shows. Dolphins have served the US and Russian navies and some believe they can even sense cancer tumors. "They have culture, they use tools, they have complex societies. These animals are very much like us because of their social complexities, their behavior, their level of self-awareness." Some researchers have argued that dolphins should be afforded the same human rights as people, and here this maniac is shooting and poisoning these mammals, as if the earth's waters and her sea life aren't threatened enough with toxic algae and pollution. One month is far too short a sentence for this miscreant. And yes, you guessed correctly; gun-loving Barfield is a registered Republican. Link One Link Two Link Three