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Barnstable County Board of Regional Commissioners Declares August Seal-and-Shark Awareness Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 31, 2019

Media Contact: Sonja Sheasley, Barnstable County Communications Coordinator
Email: Sonja.sheasley@capecod.gov

Barnstable County Board of Regional Commissioners Declares August Seal-and-Shark Awareness Month

BARNSTABLE, MA – The Barnstable County Board of Regional Commissioners voted today to make the month of August Seal and Shark Awareness Month on Cape Cod.

Wellfleet concerned citizens John Kartsounis and Drew Taylor addressed the board today to request that the month of August be officially proclaimed as Seal and Shark Awareness Month.  They cited several reasons:

  1. To provide a springboard to disseminate information to the media and the general public.
  2. To incentivize elected officials at the local, state and federal level to proactively address this public health and safety issue in our region.
  3. To bring together special interest groups toward the common goal of public health and safety.
  4. To promote public health and safety through education and proactive long-term solutions.

County Commissioner Ron Beaty said, “This will provide an umbrella for towns, non-profits and media to do things like provide factoid information.  I think it will provide a good, overall background, and from what I can tell, it doesn’t take a position on mitigation, it just provides public awareness.” He added, “I believe that this measure will help to facilitate public safety via a regional approach, which is essential because the situation involving the sharks and seals concerns all of Cape Cod, not just one segment of it.”

Read the proclamation here.

Watch the presentation during the Barnstable County Regional Board of Commissioners regular meeting here.

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