Ocean Sentry
(From mycentraljersey.com) New Jersey- Time is running out for the bottlenose dolphins that have lingered for weeks in the Navesink River, a marine-mammal advocate says.The water temperature will drop, the dolphins” food supply will be leaving, and if they aren”t “removed” before winter, they will slowly but surely die, said Bob Schoelkopf, director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine.The National Marine Fisheries Service, which has the final say on protecting the mammals, “had all summer” to figure out a plan of action for them, and now it”s time to implement it, he said. To date, 11 boaters have been cited for harassing dolphins and face warnings or fines of up to $10,000 under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act.
In July, NOAA’s Fisheries Service recommended that the state Department of Transportation apply for an “incidental take permit” under the marine-mammal law that would indemnify the agency if construction work on the Highlands-Sea Bright Bridge harassed, harmed or killed a dolphin, according to officials.
But the DOT has yet to apply for a permit, Frady said.
The $124 million project involves replacing the Route 36 drawbridge with a fixed-span bridge. The new bridge is to be completed in Fall 2009, followed by demolition of the old structure, according to DOT spokesman Tim Greeley.
A take-permit application would allow NOAA to more thoroughly evaluate the project and its risks for dolphins and to provide some suggestions for mitigation, or minimizing risks, she said in an interview. A permit is not required.
The dolphins would have to swim under the bridge to reach Sandy Hook Bay and the ocean.
Maureen Kraemer, a teacher who lives along the Shrewsbury River in Highlands, said she hasn’t seen the dolphins since they left the Shrewsbury weeks ago.
“They’re basically just slowly dying because they’re not getting out,” she said.
She thinks pile driving at the bridge is why the dolphins have moved.
(By Todd B. Bates)
