Ocean City Patch, Jan. 27, 2023
OCEAN CITY, NJ — As the controversy regarding whale deaths and offshore wind continues to grow, Ocean City officials are trying to put a stop to further wind development.
At a recent City Council meeting, officials passed a resolution formally calling for an “immediate moratorium” on offshore wind development until a thorough investigation can prove that it does not contribute to the recent rash of whale deaths at the Jersey Shore.
Ocean City joins a number of conservation groups and government officials like State Sen. Vince Polistina and Rep. Jeff Van Drew who are calling for a halt to offshore wind development in light of the marine mammal deaths.
“The Ocean City community supports clean energy programs, but seeks to first fully understand the cause of these tragic deaths and what can be done to prevent future losses,” the resolution reads.
The primary concern is that sonar mapping used in the wind development is confusing the whales and leading to their deaths, according to groups seeking to stop development.
“When has there ever been this many industrial activities permitted in the region at the same time?” Cindy Zipf of conservation group Clean Ocean Action said. “Where is the evidence that these deaths are not related to the intense offshore wind sonar and other geotechnical activities?”
However, there is no evidence to prove that they are related, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which has been tracking an increase in whale deaths (called an “unusual mortality event,” or UME) since 2016 – pre-dating offshore wind development.
“At this point, there is no evidence to support speculation that noise resulting from wind development-related site characterization surveys could potentially cause mortality of whales,” NOAA officials said.
Officials have said that the equipment used in these surveys does not interfere with marine life.
“Orsted prioritizes coexistence with our communities and marine wildlife,” Maddy Urbish, the company’s head of government affairs and strategy for New Jersey, told the Associated Press. Orsted is in charge of the controversial Ocean Wind 1 project off Ocean City’s coast. “The offshore wind industry is subject to the most stringent level of protections for marine mammals and protected species. Every aspect of our surveys, construction, and operations are reviewed by multiple agencies and subject to protective conditions, including vessel speeds, time-of-year restrictions for construction activities, and mandatory protected species observers.”
Erica Staaterman, a bioacoustician with the Bureau of Ocean Management, said in a call with reporters that the equipment was not intrusive, especially compared to that used in the oil and gas industry. This equipment is much smaller and quieter, she said.
“I just want to be unambiguous, there is no information that would support any suggestion that any of the equipment that’s being used in support of wind development for these site characterization surveys could directly lead to the death of a whale,” said Benjamin Laws, deputy chief for the permits and conservation division with NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources.
Both NOAA and the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, who have been investigating the whale deaths, have said that many of the deaths can be attributed to human interaction.
About half of the 178 dead whales since 2016 have undergone necropsy, and of those, about 40 percent had evidence of ship strikes or entanglement with fishing gear, according to NOAA.
Another factor may be that as the humpback whale population grows, more are following their prey, which are closer to the shore this winter, according to NOAA.
“More whales in the water and traveled areas by boats of all sizes increases the risk of vessel strikes,” said Lauren Gaches, NOAA spokesperson.
“This problem started way before offshore wind development and exploration, and is more indicative of the severe climate change impacts that our marine wildlife experience and an increased number of trade ships,” said NJ Sierra Club Director Anjuli Ramos-Busot.
Many marine species have moved to more favorable conditions as the ocean is warming, Gaches said, which “can lead to increased interactions with humans as some whales move closer to near-shore habitats.”
“NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to minimizing risks to protected resources, habitats, and managed fisheries throughout the life cycle of offshore wind energy projects,” Gaches said.
Veronica Flesher 