The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering a rule addressing vessels potentially at risk of becoming derelict

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering a rule addressing vessels potentially at risk of becoming derelict.

Derelict and abandoned vessels are a problem statewide.

They not only pose a safety and navigational hazard but they can also dump pollutants like gasoline and diesel fuel into the water.  

One of the issues the state faces is how to determine if a vessel is becoming derelict.

During the 2016 Legislative Session the legislature provided new conditions for determining if vessels are at risk of becoming derelict.

One of the possible components of an “at risk” vessel is if it does not have an effective means of propulsion for safe navigation.

Currently, the state is trying to define exactly what that means so state officers will have a uniform rule to use to determine if a vessel has an “effective means of propulsion for safe navigation.”

They are holding public workshops around the state to get pubic input on the issue though there are none scheduled for our area at this time.

You can learn more about the issue by going on-line to MyFWC.com/Boating, and click on “Derelict Vessels.”

http://live.oysterradio.com/