March 27, 2004

Sea Shepherd Matches PETA Reward of $2,500 Reward for New England Serial Seal Killer

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has posted a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for a numerous seal mutilations in New England.

This reward matches $2,500 reward posted by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals making this a $5,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of the serial killer and mutilator of seals.

Ten seals have been killed over the last eight months. Four of the animals were skinned and three had their genitalia removed. Four were decapitated. One seal was shot and survived.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has notified the National Marine Fisheries Service of the reward and will pay the reward upon the conviction of any person successfully prosecuted for this crime.

The Society does not need to know the identity of the informant and would request that the information be given to the National Marine Fisheries agents investigating the case..

According to Andy Cohen, regional law enforcement director for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Investigating these (mutilations) is not unlike investigating a homicide, somebody out there knows something."

That somebody could be $5,000 richer and would help prevent the people or people responsible for this cruelty and death from inflicting further inhumane and lethal acts against innocent marine mammals.