Protect Our Coast NJ challenges NOAA stance in letter to Commerce Secretary
Ocean City, NJ – A New Jersey-based nonprofit is pressing federal officials to revisit how whale deaths along the East Coast are reported, arguing current government messaging downplays potential links to offshore wind development.
In a letter dated Monday, Protect Our Coast New Jersey (POCNJ) called on U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to review and revise information published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), specifically regarding North Atlantic right whale mortality.
“Protect Our Coast New Jersey (POCNJ) urges you to review, revise, and/or remove public-facing reports and information on the NOAA website and other Department of Commerce platforms that attribute North Atlantic Right Whale mortality primarily to the U.S. fishing industry while absolving the offshore wind industry of any possible responsibility,” the group wrote.
Group challenges federal stance on offshore wind impact
The letter takes direct aim at NOAA’s public position that there is no established scientific link between offshore wind site surveys and whale deaths. The group argues that assertion is incomplete and potentially misleading.
Citing NOAA language, the letter states: “At this point, there is no scientific evidence that noise resulting from offshore wind site characterization surveys could potentially cause whale deaths. There are no known links between large whale deaths and ongoing offshore wind activities.”
POCNJ disputes that conclusion, pointing instead to offshore wind construction activities such as “high-resolution geophysical surveys, jet trenching, and pile driving,” which it says generate underwater noise capable of disrupting marine life.
“Offshore wind industry activities… are well documented to produce intense underwater noise near lease and construction sites,” the letter states. “These activities can interfere with whale communication and orientation and temporarily deafen cetaceans.”
Mortality trends and timing cited in argument
The group further claims that an increase in whale deaths aligns with the expansion of offshore wind efforts along the East Coast.
“Notably, a disturbing increase in mortality — particularly among threatened and endangered whales — began in 2017 and has coincided with the intensification of offshore wind activities,” the letter states.
The organization also raises concerns about how federal messaging influences public understanding, noting that NOAA’s website is widely cited by “media, academic institutions, schools, politicians, and NGOs.”
“By continuing to host this information on official U.S. government platforms, the Department of Commerce lends its authority to what many view as a highly dubious claim rooted in the prior administration’s priorities,” the group wrote.
Call for updated federal communication
POCNJ, which describes itself as an all-volunteer nonprofit focused on protecting marine habitats and coastal communities, is asking for what it calls more balanced and scientifically accurate public information.
“As an all-volunteer nonprofit dedicated to protecting marine habitats, fisheries, and coastal communities, we respectfully urge you to take appropriate action to ensure our hardworking fishing families are no longer misrepresented by outdated… messaging that remains on public-facing federal resources,” the letter states.
The group added that it is prepared to provide additional documentation or engage in further discussion with federal officials.
The letter was signed by Robin Shaffer, president of Protect Our Coast New Jersey.
Key Points
- NJ nonprofit urges federal review of NOAA whale mortality reporting
- Group disputes claim that offshore wind has no link to whale deaths
- Letter calls for revised public information and further federal review