A rally will be held on Saturday, May 13 on Cedar Bonnet Island in Manahawkin to spotlight the ongoing industrial offshore wind projects off the Long Beach Island Coast (LBI). The Walk the Bridge Rally begins at 10:30 a.m. with a 30-minute walk from the Mallard Island Yacht Club across to The Boatyard on the north side of the Causeway in between the mainland and LBI.
Following the walk, several speakers will take the stage at 11:45 a.m. including Stafford Township Mayor Greg Myhre, Miss Belmar captain and marine biologist Trisha DeVoe, NJ 101.5 radio host Bill Spadea, The Fisherman’s Jim Hutchinson, Jr., New Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew, and former state Assemblyman and 2021 gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli.
Organized by We Are LBI (WeAreLbi.com) the post-walk rally will begin at 11 a.m. with food trucks and live music by The Impulsives continuing into the afternoon, with all proceeds going to SaveLBI.org. According to the Save LBI website, “We are a group of citizens working together to save Long Beach Island and the ocean from the destructive impact of the proposed wind project, and offer sensible renewable energy alternatives. We are a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization and do not endorse any candidates or politicians, but we do aggressively pursue programs, policies, and actions to protect the Island.”
The Walk the Bridge Rally organizers said the event looks to raise awareness of the ongoing industrial wind projects at the Jersey Shore. “The current offshore wind project is being fast tracked at an alarming rate,” rally organizers said, explaining how the ongoing projects threaten the marine environment and coastal tourism.
Parking opens at The Boatyard at 2304 East Bay Avenue in Manahawkin on the north side of the causeway at 9 a.m. with shuttles bringing walkers to Mallard Island Yacht Club to start the 1-mile walk across the causeway back to the Boat Yard.
The potential impacts of industrial offshore wind on recreational fishing at the Jersey Shore has been covered extensively in The Fisherman Magazine, and according to Hutchinson the event offers a good opportunity to get more of these facts out to a larger audience. “”A recent report released by NOAA Fisheries acknowledged that the impacts of electromagnetic fields on local fisheries is a concern, but the government also admits that these projects will likely lead to lower fishery quotas and lost opportunities for New Jersey anglers,” Hutchinson said.
The event is expected to run from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
