Floor of the New Jersey General Assembly

Mr. Speaker, there is a crisis going on in the waters off our coast.  Whales and other marine mammals, some of which appear on the endangered list, are dying in numbers far too great to be normal.  They are the innocent creatures caught in the crossfire of a desire for the state to be a leader in green energy at any cost.  

To be clear, I nor my constituents of Ocean and Monmouth Counties, who have contacted me regarding this matter, are against wind as a supplemental source of energy and are encouraged by the jobs the wind projects can create. However, Mr. Speaker, as this Assembly’s newest member, I rise today only after doing an immense amount of research on this problem versus simply trusting what some may consider ‘dis-information.’

The science confirms a 100% mortality rate for any whale within a one-mile radius of where sonar work related to the off-shore wind project is being conducted. I also met with New Jersey’s working fishermen, who confirmed for me that there are more dead whales offshore in the waters. So, what we see on the beaches is just what has made its way to shore, and those numbers are already staggering.

I ask each of my honorable collogues to take a stand and demand that offshore wind development be stopped until a thorough study is done on ways to stop this slaughter. This should not be a partisan issue; after all Mr. Speaker, I have yet to find a person that doesn’t like whales.  

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. 

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Statement by Assemblyman Alex Sauickie, as prepared, on the floor of the New Jersey General Assembly during its February 27, 2023, session.