It’s happened again.
On Thursday morning, yet another dead whale (this time a 12-foot long humpback) washed ashore along the Jersey coast, this time in Seaside Park.
“It seems like every day we have another report of a dead whale floating offshore or landing on one of our beaches,” said state Senator Anthony Bucco (R-25) later in the day. “How many more dead whales does Governor Murphy need to see before he finally takes action? We need to investigate what’s causing these deaths to learn if it’s something we can easily fix.”
There’s been a dramatic uptick in whale and dolphin deaths since December 2022, and a handful of environmental groups (notably Clean Ocean Action) have pointed to the technology used for wind farm exploration as a possible reason why ocean wildlife is colliding with ships. Other groups – including the Sierra Club – have categorically refused to consider wind farms as a factor. The New York Times is blaming online shopping…
Dead whale has come ashore in Seaside Park @News12NJ pic.twitter.com/hle2AH81Xi
— Jim Murdoch (@ReporterJim) March 2, 2023
Republican calls for caution have nevertheless fallen on deaf ears in Democrat-controlled Trenton.
A Senate Republican call for a 30-day moratorium on surveys has been ignored, and an amendment to enact a moratorium was shelved.
“You have to wonder if Governor Murphy is unwilling to accept a short moratorium because he’s hoping for the wind farm surveys to be completed by Memorial Day,” continued Bucco, the preumptive GOP Senate leader for the 2024-2025 session. “It certainly won’t help our important shore tourism economy this summer if news reports continue of dead whales keep washing ashore when our beaches are packed with families on vacation.”
