TALHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — State lawmakers have passed a bill that will crack down on abandoned boats in the hopes of holding the owners financially responsible. The new scale aims to increase penalties for owners of derelict boats.
Florida is a sailor’s heaven, and many call it “the world’s boat capital.” However, when tragedy hits like Hurricane Helen and Milton, hundreds of ships are evacuated.
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State lawmakers now want to hold these very boat owners accountable in Senate Bill 164. The bill has died from both rooms and is awaiting the signing of the governor.
The law aims to crack down on the left ship to deteriorate in state waters, making it illegal to live on a derelict ship.
“Law enforcement also declares vessels with repeated violations as nuisance to the public and allows them to retain the owner of the vessel, who is responsible for the relocation and disposal costs only,” said Rep. Fabian Bassabe, R-Miami Beach.
And for those who refuse to fire cash, it could lead to fines and prevent them from purchasing another vessel in the future.
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8 On your side we met with Florida fish and wildlife and Officer Bradley Johnson. He spoke about the negative impacts that a derelict ship could have.
“We know that vessels know marine sanctuaries, sea grass beds, and important vegetation in our wildlife. In addition to that, there could be fuel on the ship, ships that can sometimes leak into the water.
Leaves Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the FWC removes a total of 469 ships from the state’s waters, with six still investigating.
“We actually have a process where they can hand over that boat to Florida, and we can remove that boat and dispose of it responsibly before it is abandoned.
The Ship Turn-In Program is available here. The cost of deletion, destruction and disposal of eligible vessels is 100% funded by the program.
