KEY WEST, Fla. – The Coast Guard and partner agencies are scheduled to conduct increased patrols within the Florida Keys, April 15-17.
Patrols are scheduled throughout various harbors within the Florida Keys, with a dedicated effort to educate the public on hurricane season, enforce boating safety laws, identify 'at-risk' and derelict vessels, and raise awareness on federal pollution laws to protect the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Partner agencies involved include:
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
- Key West Police Department
- CBP Border Patrol
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement
- Florida Department of Corrections
- Monroe County Sheriff’s Department
"The harsh environment of South Florida, particularly its seasonal proclivity for Tropical storms, makes the Florida Keys an area vulnerable to rapid vessel deterioration," said Lt. j.g. Jordan Haas, a Coast Guard Sector Key West enforcement officer. "This directly affects the moored vessels in our community, who bear the brunt of storm damage. The U.S. Coast Guard wants to ensure the boating public operates safely, is aware of the local, state, and federal resources available for hurricane preparedness, and complies with the pollution and marine sanitation regulations in place to preserve the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary."
“FWC and all of its partners work together on the waters around throughout the Keys to educate and enforce the laws relative to boating safety, marine sanitation, vessel registration, and derelict vessels,” said Capt. Dave Dipre, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “By ensuring each vessel has the proper boating safety equipment, we work toward ensuring all boaters are prepared for unfavorable boating conditions and are able to help themselves and others in a time of need. By ensuring proper marine sanitation, we work to ensure better water quality and a safer, healthier marine environment. By ensuring updated registrations are in place, we work to better identify and protect vessels from theft, damage, abandonment, or becoming derelict. By enforcing rules and regulations relative to derelict vessels, we are able to reduce hazards to navigation, reduce pollution, prevent seagrass and coral damage and ensure a much healthier Florida Keys. We are grateful to our partners and to the boating community who work together to make the Keys home to many of us and a destination for others.”
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