Violence against sea turtle nests and the human volunteers who protect them continued last week, this time in an Atlantic beach of South Florida. According to a news report filed by Anne Geggis of the Sun Sentinel newspaper, a 72-year old man was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound on his hip after an altercation involving a man who did not approve of the work performed by the sea turtle volunteers.

The shooting took place in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, an upscale residential and resort coastal community located about thirty miles north of Miami. Two elderly volunteers were confronted by a 38-year old man who explained that he did not like sea turtles or the work of volunteers who protect them. The man then proceeded to pull out the marker stakes that volunteers set around the nests.

At that time, a 72-year old volunteer identified as Stan Pannaman pulled out a firearm that he had been concealing in his pocket. He took aim at the man pulling the stakes and reminded him that disturbing sea turtle nests is a criminal offense. At some point, Mr. Pannaman put the pistol back in his pocket, but then the harasser physically assaulted another volunteer, who happens to preside the South Florida Audubon Society.

Mr. Pannaman jumped in to help his 64-year old friend, which is when the attacker took the gun from him and shot him. The round entered Mr. Pannaman’s left hip, where it remained lodged after he was rushed to the hospital. Police responded to the scene and arrested the suspect, who was charged with battery on an elderly victim and illegal possession of a firearm.

As previously reported by The Costa Rica Star, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society recently announced the launch of Operation Jairo, an effort to protect nesting sea turtles, in Florida. Operation Jairo started in Costa Rica and Honduras. While guarding the nests in Playa Pacuare, the Sea Shepherd volunteers were physically assaulted by poachers, who had threatened them earlier with weapons.

In Florida, Sea Shepherd will work with the Sea Turtle Oversight Protection (S.T.O.P.), whose president Richard Whitecloud explained to the Sun Sentinel that his organization gets reports about Florida volunteers being threatened and harassed almost every night during nesting season.

Sea Shepherd is also offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the man and woman responsible for running over five nests laid by endangered leatherback sea turtles and killing three black skimmer chicks on Florida’s Anna Maria Island, located in the Gulf of Mexico, on June 27. Sea Shepherd Founder Captain Paul Watson, who announced the reward for the capture of these ‘turtle terrorists,’ has helped to bring national attention to the plight of endangered sea turtles in Florida.