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 to deter an imperiled bird species, the black skimmer, from nesting there.

The incident came to light in late April when beachgoers noticed mothballs on the white sand behind the Plaza Beach Hotel. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), along with volunteers from the Audubon Society, responded by 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 on a large quantity of mothballs at a Walmart the day before the mothballs appeared on the beach, according to FWC officials. Law enforcement also served search warrants and examined phone records during the investigation.

An FWC official warned that the pesticide in mothballs is harmful to people and wildlife and noted that exposure to as few as 30 mothballs "can wipe out a colony if those young birds haven't fledged yet."

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

The charges include illegal dumping and the attempted take of a state-listed imperiled species, reflecting the seriousness of the environmental impact.

Sources