POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ – After nine confirmed whale deaths have been reported at the Jersey Shore in a nearly two-month span, critics of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s offshore wind farm showed up to protest on the Boardwalk in Point Pleasant on Sunday.
While researchers and marine life scientists have been unable to determine the exact cause of death of the whales, many at the Jersey Shore believe the recent uptick can be blamed on work being done off-shore on a massive wind turbine farm.
Several hundred people showed up at the boardwalk to attend the rally on Sunday.
On Sunday, Joseph Rudy Rullo called out Governor Phil Murphy’s unwillingness to investigate the increasing number of whales.
“He’s not doing anything about this,” Rullo said. “Republicans are standing up along with the environmentalists when normally you would only see Democrats involved.”
Rullo said Murphy is more concerned about wind turbines than saving the endangered humpback whale population.
Last week Congressman Chris Smith called for an environmental review of the situation in light of Governor Murphy’s inaction.
Smith called for immediate answers from the Biden Administration and Governor Murphy to the growing questions raised by him, county and local officials, environmental leaders, and concerned Jersey Shore residents over the massive offshssore wind projects along the New Jersey-New York coastline in light of the recent unprecedented surge in whale deaths.
“Questions and concerns raised by me and many others have gone unanswered concerning the unexplained deaths of at least 10 whales,” said Smith, who has received no response to date from the Biden Administration regarding his request to immediately pause all offshore wind projects until ecological safety can be assured,” Congressman Chris said. “We demand to be heard and our deep concerns addressed—not trivialized, mocked or dismissed. We want the truth. The people of New Jersey deserve better.”
The event was organized by Clean Ocean Action, an environmental group that has been calling upon state and federal government to halt work offshore and conduct an investigation into the recent deaths in whales at the Jersey Shore.
On Sunday, three Atlantic White-Sided dolphins washed ashore at Sandy Hook Bay. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center is conducting necropsies. The dolphins were seen floundering and flailing in shallow water just off the beach before they died.
