PANAMA CITY, Fla. (CBS12) — A Florida fisherman has been sentenced to 30 days in prison and fined $51,000 for poisoning and shooting protected dolphins in Gulf waters.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said federal prosecutors announced on Friday that Zackery Brandon Barfield, 31 — a licensed charter and commercial fishing captain from Panama City — targeted bottlenose dolphins between 2022 and 2023, frustrated that they were eating red snapper off his clients’ lines.

According to court documents, he laced baitfish with methomyl, a highly toxic pesticide, and used a 12-gauge shotgun to kill dolphins during fishing trips.

"The defendant’s selfish acts are more than illegally poisoning and shooting protected animals – they are serious crimes against public resources," said the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Michelle Spaven.

One dolphin was killed instantly. However, the DOJ said in one incident, Barfield fired his shotgun in front of elementary-aged children; in another, more than a dozen passengers witnessed the act.

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"Barfield knew the regulations protecting dolphins, yet he killed them anyway," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson. "This sentence demonstrates our commitment to enforcing the rule of law."

Barfield will also serve a one-year term of supervised release following his prison sentence, according to the DOJ.

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