Man Accused of Stealing Skin From Dead Whale
A man was charged with stealing a piece of skin from the carcass of a highly endangered right whale on a Cape Cod beach, the National Marine Fisheries Service said Wednesday.
Peter Hubbell of Marshfield, Mass., could face a civil fine of up to $10,000 for allegedly taking a 6-inch square of skin from the dead whale on April 21 while scientists conducted a necropsy. The whale was later found to have likely been struck by a boat.
One of the scientists working on the necropsy said he warned Hubbell three times that it is illegal to take parts from marine mammals. The man told investigators he just wanted a souvenir, an official said.
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