PHOTO BY RICHARD JOHNSON – STOCK.ADOBE.COM At a meeting on Oct. 5 in Jensen Beach, Fla., Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials told the public of their plan to request $7 million from the state legislature to fund a derelict-vessel removal program. The commission also plans to ask for approval to speed up the notice period for owners to take care of damaged and abandoned boats.
According to sun-sentinel.com, commission chairman Rodney Barreto was on a fishing trip on the St. Johns River when he came across five derelict vessels that he called an “eyesore” and an environmental problem. He added that the problem is likely to get bigger as more people relocate to the Sunshine State and more boats are registered there.
One problem is the number of older boats being abandoned because the expense of ownership continues to go up. Insurance costs are also rising.
During the fiscal year that ended June 30, state agencies reportedly handled 353 of the more than 420 boats that were damaged during Hurricane Ian. There are 282 abandoned migrant vessels in South Florida and 270 are in other parts of the state.
The commission said most residents along the Gulf of Mexico did heed warnings ahead of Hurricane Idalia’s landfall on Aug. 30, securing their boats or taking them inland. The result is that only 40 boats have been documented as left derelict by the storm that hit the Keaton Beach area of Taylor County.
