A minke whale died after colliding with a small boat in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey — one of several tragic incidents in recent years where whales have been injured or killed in U.S. waters due to vessel strikes.

Video of the collision shows the whale hitting the boat and a person being thrown overboard. The whale later washed up dead on a sandbar. Marine authorities couldn’t even reach it in time to assess the damage before it died.

These deaths are preventable. It’s time for action.

We’re calling on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, and NOAA Fisheries to:

• Establish seasonal speed limits for recreational and commercial vessels in known whale migration zones
• Increase public education and outreach on marine mammal safety for boaters in New Jersey
• Fund monitoring and response programs to better detect and assist whales in distress
   

Our oceans are changing — and boat traffic is increasing. If we don’t act now, more whales will die preventable deaths in our waterways.

Sign this petition to demand immediate protections for whales in New Jersey waters — and help stop the next tragedy before it happens.