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Residents press Woodbridge officials over SeaQuest sale and animal welfare; administration proposes tighter farm-animal permit rules
Summary
Public commenters raised animal-welfare and licensing concerns about the sale of SeaQuest Woodbridge, now operating as Woodbridge Aquarium and Wildlife Encounters, and township staff said a change to farm-animal licensing would restrict permits to residential uses.
Speakers during the public-comment portion urged the township to block a sale and licensing transfer for the attraction formerly known as SeaQuest Woodbridge, which residents said is being rebranded as Woodbridge Aquarium and Wildlife Encounters.
Jeffrey Wisniewski of Patterson, New Jersey, told the council that, in his view, the sale was permitted by local officials and that serious problems at the attraction — including his claim of about 100 animal deaths and thousands of complaints — have not been addressed by the township. Wisniewski asked whether any licenses granted to the previous operator would transfer to the new owner or whether new permits would be required.
Nicole Paternoster, a resident from the Avenel section, said the new operator has already posted social-media accounts and blocked or deleted local questions about how operations will differ from SeaQuest. Veronica Labresch, who said she had traveled from Michigan, urged careful treatment of animals and noted there are sanctuaries available for at‑risk animals.
In response, Vito Samaluca of the township administration said that an ordinance on the evening’s first-reading calendar proposes to limit the township’s farm-animal licensing to residential uses and that the intent of the proposed change is to prevent issuance of the type of permits that would cover a commercial animal-display business. Samaluca said that if the ordinance passes on second reading at the next meeting, the township will not issue the same type of permits to a commercial exhibit operator.
Township staff also reminded the public that animals on site remain subject to federal and state oversight. Officials said animals currently at the facility fall under USDA regulations and oversight by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (where applicable), and that local authorities will accept and investigate cruelty complaints and coordinate with those agencies as required.
Speakers pressed for clarity about whether the township had any control over the new name; officials replied the township cannot prevent a private business from using “Woodbridge” in its name. Several commenters said they would pursue outside advocacy and monitoring.
No formal action on the attraction was taken at the meeting. The administration identified the related ordinance on farm‑animal licensing as being on first reading and scheduled for a public hearing on April 22, 2025; staff said they would not issue permits for commercial animal displays if the ordinance is adopted on second reading.
