Two business owners in St. Pete Beach, Florida, have been charged with third-degree felonies for allegedly scattering approximately 1,500 toxic mothballs across a beach to deter an imperiled bird species from nesting there. If convicted, each could face up to five years in prison, fines up to $5,000, and up to five years of probation.

The incident began in late April when beachgoers noticed mothballs on the white sand behind the Plaza Beach Hotel. Officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and volunteers from the Audubon Society responded, removing about 1,000 mothballs from the area.

Investigators, using video surveillance and receipt records, determined that one of the accused, Czyszczon, spent about $60 on a large quantity of mothballs at a Walmart the day before they appeared on the beach, according to FWC officials. An FWC official noted that as few as 30 mothballs "can wipe out a colony if those young birds haven't fledged yet."

The black skimmers, a state-listed imperiled species, were attempting to establish a nesting colony on the beach. The discovery of the mothballs caused concern in the community and prompted law enforcement to serve search warrants and continue investigations.

The charges include illegal dumping and the "attempted take of a state-listed imperiled species," according to Pinellas County court records.

Sources

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