(Image Source: Los Angeles Times)
BY DANNY MATTESON
You're watching multisource tech news analysis from Newsy.
You may want to save the whales, just don’t feed them anything in the process. That’s the message the Government is sending a California woman this week. KNTV explains...
“A prominent marine biologist is facing criminal charges tonight for allegedly feeding killer whales in Monterey Bay. Nancy Black charged with breaking Federal Marine Mammal Protection laws while running her whale watching business.”
Black is also accused of lying to investigators and editing videotape to conceal evidence. But she is contesting the charges -- saying she merely dragged blubber the whales would have eaten anyway closer to the boat, in an attempt to videotape them for her research.
Her lawyer told The San Francisco Chronicle...
“The federal government says that’s like feeding the bears in Yosemite. You’ve got to be kidding me. We’re not bringing in Twinkies and moving them into cars; this is what they are eating.”
And commentators at Fox think lawmakers may be overstepping their authority -- wading into waters they don’t fully understand.
“Since when are they scientists? I mean, we have maybe two doctors in the room down in congress and one of them is OBGYN. They know nothing!”
If convicted on all charges, including interfering with the investigation, Black could face some serious penalties. The Washington Post reports...
“Black could receive a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a half million dollars in fines. Each of the feeding charges carries a maximum penalty of a year in prison and a $100,000 fine.”
According to Black’s website, she has worked with whales and dolphins in the region for over 10 years. Her work has been featured on National Geographic, PBS and Animal Planet.
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