FWC outlines scope of derelict-vessel problem, promotes voluntary turn-in program

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources on an agenda item Wednesday that derelict vessels remain a persistent public-safety and environmental problem and that new prevention and funding tools have improved removal rates.

"Currently, we have approximately 1,040 derelict vessels in our derelict vessel database at this time," said Lieutenant Colonel Robert Rowe, deputy director, Division of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He said the state logs roughly 600 new derelict cases each year and that many removals are handled by owners, insurers or local governments.

Rowe described why the topic matters: derelict vessels can obstruct navigation, leach hazardous materials into sensitive ecosystems and be costly to remove, especially when located in seagrass beds, coral areas or cultural sites. "Many of the vessels on this map on the West Coast were rendered derelict by this last year's hurricane season, and nearly half of the vessels on the map and in our database at this time are directly attributed to the impact of hurricanes," he said.

The commission defined a derelict vessel as one "left upon the waters of the state in a wrecked, junked, or substantially dismantled condition," and explained the three-part test used for the "substantially dismantled" determination: hull integrity, steering and propulsion. Rowe noted two other conditions that qualify a boat as derelict: mooring in a port without permission or mooring on private property without permission.

Rowe summarized enforcement and removal steps: detection, diligent owner-search, due-process notice and, where needed, administrative hearings followed by authorization to remove. The agency said it has issued about 1,268 derelict-vessel citations over the last five years and that when owners cannot be located removals are pursued through grant-funded local removals or state-contracted direct removals.

To reduce future costs and environmental harm, FWC highlighted several prevention tools:

- Vessel Turn-In Program (VTIP): approved by the FWC commission in February 2022 and widely rolled out in February 2023; the agency said it has received more than 250 applications and removed over 145 vessels under the program. Rowe said VTIP is voluntary, no-cost to the owner and speeds safe removal because vessels are usually floating when picked up.

- At-risk-vessel enforcement: the agency described six at-risk conditions and explained that an at-risk vessel with three or more convictions of the same condition within 18 months can be deemed a nuisance and treated like a derelict vessel.

- Grants and a new block-grant pilot: FWC provides 100% reimbursement grants to local governments for removals and has begun a block-grant approach that gives upfront funding to local governments that conduct the most removals, a change the agency said speeds response in high-volume counties.

Rowe also described a long-term stored-vessel study covering seven priority counties. The study identified 450 anchoring areas associated with long-term stored vessels and 691 unmanaged anchoring areas statewide; in Monroe County the study found as many as 77% of vessels removed in February 2022 had previously been long-term stored vessels. The agency said those findings show a correlation between long-term storage and later dereliction, and that local stakeholders reported primarily negative impacts from long-term anchored vessels on environment, public safety and local infrastructure.

Committee members asked about objections from owners, removal equipment and where removed vessels are taken. Rowe said owner challenges to administrative findings are "a small percentage" and that the administrative hearing process has helped the agency prevail in most cases. He told committee members FWC does not generally maintain its own heavy hauling equipment; it relies on a vetted contractor list and, in some cases, local boat-ramp crews (but noted federal grant restrictions sometimes limit use of that equipment). On disposal, Rowe said contractors are required to recycle whatever material is practical and that the remainder is taken to landfill; he said the agency shares recycling revenues with contractors to offset disposal costs.

On financing, Rowe noted the agency used ARPA funds to provide block grants in high-volume jurisdictions such as Monroe County, and said large removals that require transport often become expensive because of DOT permits, power-line moves and limited waterfront storage.

While senators praised the presentation and the agency's tools, they raised questions about local variation in case counts and whether counties can act independently. Rowe said local governments may use their own funds for removals but must still provide owners due process; the variation in case numbers, he said, reflects geography, boating traffic, local priorities and how counties structure approval for removals.

The committee did not take legislative action on the presentation. Senator Arrington moved to adjourn at the end of the meeting; the motion carried without objection.