Committee advances bill letting deep-water ports seek 5,000-foot no-anchoring buffer; mariners and cruising groups warn of displacement

The Florida Senate Committee on Transportation voted to report CS for SB 594 favorably after adopting a strike-all amendment that lets the governing body of a seaport petition the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to prohibit anchoring and mooring adjacent to port channels and turning basins.

Sponsor Senator Rodriguez said the measure gives ports without protected channels an administrative path to request a buffer zone, and that the amendment clarifies FWC’s role, sets a 90-day review window, requires seaports to hold public hearings and gives FWC rulemaking and enforcement authority. “It requires a seaport to notify the FWC of its annual review of its anchoring and mooring prohibitions,” Rodriguez said during committee consideration.

Opposition and safety concerns: Dozens of mariners’ representatives and cruising organizations opposed the bill at the hearing, telling the committee the proposed buffer — described in the draft as not to exceed 5,000 feet — would displace hundreds of anchored small craft in areas such as Biscayne Bay and Palm Beach. Raymond Saroy of Clay County, representing the Marine Trawler Owners Association and the Great Loop Cruisers Association, asked that the committee reject SB 594 or engage with boating groups to craft a balanced approach. He said the bill “sets up a decision making structure for future regulations which will impede the safe transportation of many types of vessels using Florida's waterways today.”

Wally Moran, president of Cruisers Race Network of North America, said there is virtually no short-term or long-term dockage available in Biscayne Bay and estimated 150–250 boats would be affected in Miami Beach alone. “If these 150 to 250 boats have to move because you allow this bill to pass, where are they going to go?” Moran asked. Kingsley Ross and licensed captain Eugene Rutkowski raised similar safety and access concerns and argued that many small craft rely on shallower anchorages that large vessels cannot use.

Supporters and administrative guardrails: Richard Pinsky, representing the Port of Palm Beach and the Florida Ports Council, said the bill is not aimed at stopping anchoring generally but at protecting port channels where vessels navigating to or from a seaport can be endangered by nearby anchored craft. “It is about protecting the port channel for ports that don't have a protected channel,” Pinsky said, describing the required sequence: two public hearings by the port, an application to FWC, and consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps during FWC's rulemaking.

Mitigation requests: John Moyle of the Florida Inland Navigation District — an independent special district that manages intercoastal waterways — did not take a position but urged the committee to require mitigation so there is no net loss of anchorage: identify how many anchoring spots would be excluded and provide mooring fields or other alternatives to offset the loss.

Committee action and vote: The committee adopted the strike-all amendment (which adds FWC review, a 90-day action period, public hearings, and enforcement/rulemaking language) and then voted to report CS for SB 594 favorably. The clerk's roll call recorded Senator Davis opposing the measure; other recorded votes were in favor (Senators Arrington, Jones, McLean, Trunnell, Wright, Vice Chair Avila and Chair Collins).

Why it matters: Committee members said the bill aims to protect commerce, safety and navigable channels, while opponents warned the proposal would displace recreational and cruising vessels that have limited options for anchorage. Several speakers urged further engagement between ports, FWC and mariner groups and proposed explicit mitigation (new mooring fields or nearby anchorage) before removing existing anchor areas.

Next steps: The bill, as amended, advances from committee. Witnesses asked to work with sponsors and FWC on specific mitigation and clearer criteria to balance port safety and small-vessel anchoring needs.