POINT PLEASANT BEACH — Chants of “Save our whales” and “Recall Murphy” sounded during a boardwalk rally organized by Tricia DeVoe, who described herself as a naturalist concerned about threats to marine life posed by proposed wind turbine farms off shore.
Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Paul Kanitra, was one of several office holders who spoke at the rally and drew a connection between recent whale deaths and preliminary work on an offshore wind energy project endorsed by Gov. Phil Murphy.
“The politics behind this are as rotten as the whales washing up on the shore,” said Mr. Kanitra. “Our neighbors in the ocean are dying at an unprecedented rate… apparently the powers that be think we are all idiots and their silence has been deafening.”
He said he has viewed materials showing how various species of marine life will be harassed by work on one planned wind turbine project, as well a correlation between related survey vessels operating and the dates of dead whales washing ashore.
Ms. Devoe, who works on whale viewing tours, said, “These whales are able to avoid boats all summer long and now, all of a sudden, they can’t avoid the boats in the off season?”
The rally ended with a group walk down to the beach to pose for a group photo under a whale-shaped balloon floating in the sky above.
Other speakers included Cindy Zipf of Clean Ocean Action, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew and several Jersey shore mayors.
For more on this story, read the next edition of The Ocean Star—on newsstands Friday or online in our e-Edition.
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