U.S. authorities are responding to allegations against
33 swimmers in Hawaii, who allegedly harassed local dolphins. Photos and videos from a drone show the group "aggressively pursuing, corralling, and harassing the pod," said a representative from the U.S. Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).
The footage of the pod also appears to include several baby dolphins, making this interaction even scarier and potentially more devastating.Humans have caused enough problems for marine mammals - there is absolutely no reason any person should be chasing or threatening dolphins, period.
Sign now to tell U.S. federal law enforcement to hold the 33 people involved in this incident accountable for harassing wildlife!Dolphins and whales already have to deal with overfishing, a variety of forms of water pollution, and warming ocean temperatures because of climate change. Humans should be trying to reduce our future impact as much as possible, and that includes leaving wildlife alone.
What these people did was also illegal. Under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act, swimmers off the shores of the Hawaiian islands are prohibited from approaching Hawaiian spinner dolphins or even being within 50 yards of them.
It is unclear if these people were tourists or not - but that seems highly likely, given that tourists often want to interact with local wildlife for the "experience." Tourists or not, these people must be held accountable.
It is time that all 33 people involved in this tragic incident are held accountable by U.S. federal law enforcement! Sign the petition now if you agree!