FWC detail aimed at reducing number of derelict vessels in Tampa Bay and surrounding waterways

Southwest Region Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers, in partnership with the Hillsborough County Marine Safety Unit and Pinellas County Public Works, have just completed the second phase of a continual detail operation aimed at reducing the number of derelict vessels in Tampa Bay and surrounding waterways. This operation resulted in 17 derelict vessel citations and 12 at-risk citations. The FWC has also been working closely with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office to expedite the removal of individual derelict vessels that pose an immediate threat to navigation.

“The FWC is committed to reducing the number of derelict vessels in and around the waters of Tampa Bay,” said Maj. Rob Rowe, FWC Southwest Regional Commander. “These vessels are a hazard to the environment and navigation on the water. We will continue to address these issues and work with vessel owners to ensure that the waters in and around Tampa Bay remain safe for boaters and marine life.”

The FWC makes every effort to work with vessel owners to have them either remove the vessel from state waters or return it to non-derelict status. When a derelict vessel has been identified, FWC conducts a concurrent criminal investigation and civil process. The criminal investigation holds owners accountable for allowing their vessel to become derelict and the civil process affords the owners due process while allowing FWC and their partners to remove the vessel without waiting for the lengthy criminal case to conclude. In derelict cases where an owner has been identified, the FWC seeks reimbursement costs from the owner when the vessel is removed.

As of March 2022, law enforcement has more than 50 active derelict vessels documented in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties in the FWC’s derelict vessel database.

Grant funding for the 2021-2022 fiscal year is available to local governments for derelict vessel removal grants. The FWC Derelict Vessel Final Removal Funding Opportunity Program application and guidelines can be downloaded at MyFWC.com/DVGrant.