7th dead whale washed ashore near planned green power source – are they being killed by offshore wind projects?

Despite calls to halt the development of offshore wind projects following a series of unexplained whale deaths, New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said the state would not interfere with these projects.

The death of the seventh whale in a little over a month, reported last week, has alarmed Cindy Zipf, chief executive of Clean Ocean Action, according to NJ.com.

“This is bad news on top of bad news,” she said.

The seventh dead whale washed up on the coast of New York-New Jersey in less than two months. The humpback whale was found on the beach at Brigantine, just a few miles from where another dead whale was washed up six days ago. pic.twitter.com/yX0KnTftv

— njdotcom (@njdotcom) January 13, 2023

“This is devastating and shows even more urgency of our call to action for [President Joe] Biden and Gov. Phil Murphy are calling for a halt to all activity. Do not add any more projects and conduct a comprehensive investigation with the involvement of experts and full transparency under supervision,” she said.

The whale’s death, reported on Thursday, follows the death of another whale the day before.

“Is this an omen? Is it anxiety? Zipf said in comments made before the seventh whale was found, according to the Associated Press. “Never before have we been washed ashore by six whales in 33 days.”

Some legislators agree with this, according to AP.

“We must suspend all work related to the development of offshore wind power until we can determine the cause of the death of these whales, some of which are endangered,” Republican Senator Vince Polistina said, adding: “It’s hard to believe that death [seven] the whales on our beaches are just a coincidence.”

Brigantine Mayor Vince Cera and GOP Rep. Jeff Van Drew also called for a pause.

No offshore wind turbines have yet been installed off the coast of New Jersey, according to NJ.com. However, according to AP, three projects have been approved and work is underway to prepare the site.

The Danish company Orsted, contracted to build the facilities, did not say what work it did, AP reported.

However, the AP reported: “Environmental group Clean Ocean Action said such work typically involves surveying the ocean floor using focused pulses of low-frequency sound at the same frequency that whales hear and communicate, potentially harming or disorienting animals. ”

Murphy said the new stream of dead whales arriving on New Jersey beaches is part of a pattern that predates the development of wind power.

“They said it has been happening at an increased rate since 2016 and that was long before there was offshore wind activity. It appears that some of these whales were shot down by vessels,” he said, according to AP.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the death of 176 whales along the Atlantic coast since 2016 is what it calls an “unusual mortality event.”

According to the NOAA report, 40 percent of the whales whose carcasses were examined showed signs of collision with ships or entanglement in fishing nets.

Several environmental groups have supported Murphy, including Clean Water Action, Environment New Jersey, Sierra Club, New Jersey Audubon, NY/NJ Baykeeper, and others.

“Blaming offshore wind projects for whale deaths without evidence is not only irresponsible, but also overshadows the very real threats of climate change, plastic pollution and unsustainable fisheries management practices for these animals,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, director of the Sierra Club in New Jersey. according to the AP

“We need to base our decisions on science and data, not on emotion or speculation,” Allison McLeod, political director of the League of Conservation Voters of New Jersey, told the AP.

The Marine Mammal Center told NJ.com that the last dead whale was reported on Thursday afternoon, just before 5:00 pm.

“When employees arrived, they found an upside-down carcass 20 to 25 feet long in the surf. Due to the approaching tide and low light last night, the staff returned at dawn to take photos. Following a conference call with members of NOAA Fisheries and the Greater Atlantic Region Stranding Network, plans are being developed to perform an autopsy on the animal to work out the logistics,” the center said.

This article originally appeared in The Western Journal.

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