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 area behind their businesses. The mothballs were reportedly spread in an attempt to keep an imperiled bird species, the black skimmer, from nesting there.

The incident came to light in late April when beachgoers noticed the mothballs on the white sand near 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 sand.

Investigators, using video surveillance and receipt records, determined that one of the accused, Czyszczon, spent about $60 purchasing a large quantity of mothballs at a Walmart the day before they appeared on the beach. Law enforcement served search warrants and conducted further investigations.

An FWC official noted that as few as 30 mothballs can wipe out a colony if young birds have not yet fledged. The black skimmers, which are endangered, were attempting to establish a nesting colony in the area.

If convicted, the two individuals could face up to five years in prison, fines up to $5,000, and up to five years of probation.

The case has raised concern among the community and wildlife advocates about the targeting of endangered birds and the use of harmful pesticides in natural habitats.

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