Florida fishing captain sentenced to 30 days, fined $51K for poisoning, shooting dolphins
The Brief
Zackery Barfield, a fishing captain from Panama City, Florida, was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $51,000 for poisoning and shooting dolphins.
He used toxic bait to kill dolphins that were eating fish caught by his clients.
He also shot at dolphins during fishing trips, killing at least one, even with children present on the boat.
PANAMA CITY, Fla. - A Florida fishing captain was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $51,000 for poisoning and shooting dolphins – which is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, authorities said.
What we know
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, 31-year-old Zackery Brandon Barfield had worked most of his adult life as a licensed charter and commercial fishing captain in the Panama City area.
From 2022 to 2023, court records show Barfield repeatedly poisoned and shot bottlenose dolphins.
Why? Authorities say that in the summer of 2022, he grew frustrated with dolphins eating red snapper from his clients' fishing lines. In response, he began stuffing baitfish with methomyl—a highly toxic poison that harms the nervous systems of people, animals, and other wildlife—and used them to target dolphins near his boat.
Officials say he continued this for several months. Between December 2022 and the summer of 2023, Barfield also used a 12-gauge shotgun to shoot at dolphins, killing at least one—even while children were on board during one of the trips.
What they're saying
Paige Casey, the Acting Assistant Director, NOAA OLE Southeast Division, said the dolphin deaths might not have been solved without the hard work of their investigator and strong teamwork with other law enforcement agencies.
"The subject's actions were intentional and heartless, and we'll continue to pursue any harmful acts against marine mammals," Casey said. "Egregious crimes such as in this case have serious consequences."
"He knew the regulations protecting dolphins, yet he killed them anyway — once in front of children," Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) said in a statement. "This sentence demonstrates our commitment to enforcing the rule of law. It should deter others from engaging in such conduct."
What you can do
Those who are aware of a violation of federal marine resource laws or federal pesticide laws are urged to contact NOAA Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964 or EPA's National Response Center at (800) 424-8802.
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The Source
This story was written based on information shared by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida on May 23, 2025.
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