Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission tightens up derelict vessel rules

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently approved rule amendments creating a block grant option for the already established FWC derelict vessel removal grant program.

The removal of derelict vessels is one of the biggest issues facing the Florida Keys, and the county has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years removing them from Keys waters.

The new rule will streamline the derelict vessel removal process in the Florida Keys, reducing the potential environmental impact and overall removal costs associated with derelict vessels that remain deteriorating in the state waters.

“Incorporating this grant block funding into the process is a significant step forward in getting these derelict vessels off the water as efficiently as possible,” Monroe County Marine Resources Senior Administrator Brittany Burtner said at the FWC monthly meeting, held Sept. 17-18 in Duck Key. “This is a great example of entities working together to make our environment cleaner and our waterways safer, and I am truly grateful for all of the dedication, collaboration, and coordination put into this to make it a reality.”

Monroe County’s Marine Resources department and Legislative Affairs team have advocated for a change to the program since 2021 because the process to remove a derelict vessel was delayed by about three or more months to use the funding. With the change, removing a derelict vessel after FWC authorization should take less than a month for counties with a proven track record, like Monroe County, according to Burtner.

As of Sept. 1, 297 derelict vessels were listed in the FWC database. Monroe County has 149 contracted for removal through the FWC and another 31 on another contract. In a few weeks, another derelict vessel sweep will be made, where Burtner believes up to 200 more boats could be added to the list in the Florida Keys. Since 2019, Monroe County has received FWC grants to remove 454 vessels, saving the county more than $4 million. The county contracts local pre-qualified companies to remove the vessels, according to Burtner.

“This program has been essential to our efforts, and the amendments will only strengthen its impact moving forward,” Burtner said.

Derelict vessels destroy valuable seagrass resources and endanger marine life. They also threaten human life, safety, and property as they drift on or beneath the water’s surface or block navigable waterways, posing a navigational hazard to the boating public.

For information about the derelict vessel removal grant program, visit MyFWC.com/boating. Select “Grant Programs” then “Derelict Vessels Removal Grant Program.”