The Bahamas Parliament has enacted the Port Authorities (Amendment) Bill, which will increase fees for visiting boats and introduce new regulations that carry penalties for infractions, effective July 1. Changes made in amending the Port Authorities Act include requiring AIS systems on boats over 50 feet, according to Bahamian government documents.
The amendment also increases fees for temporary cruising permits, according to the Bahamian government. For boats not exceeding 34 feet, the fee will increase to $500 for a period not exceeding 12 months. For boats over 34 feet but less than 100 feet, the fee will be $1,000. The cruising fee for boats larger than 100 feet will be $3,000.
Other fees, including mooring and fishing permits, also are set by the regulations. Additionally, there is the introduction of a Frequent Digital Cruising Card, which comes with restrictions and is valid for two years. The FDCC requires customs check-in and payment of any additional fees, and ranges from $1,500 for boats to 34 feet and $2,500 for boats 34 to 100 feet. The fee for boats larger than 100 feet will be $8,000.
Additional regulations can be found here.
The complete text of the bill can be found here.
