The News-Press and Naples Daily News reached out to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to get an update on the derelict boats that were the result of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28, 2022.
Here is what to know:
Hurricane Ian’s derelict boats: An update from FWC
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Prior to Hurricane Ian, approximately 580 vessels were listed in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) derelict vessel database. Post Ian, FWC officers assessed over 4,200 vessels on the waters of the state. The vessel owners or insurance companies facilitated the removal of most of these vessels after they became derelict due to Hurricane Ian.
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The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) coordinated the removal and disposal of vessels investigated by the FWC, and 457 derelict vessels were turned over to DEM for removal in Charlotte, Collier, Lee, and Monroe Counties.
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In coordination with DEM, 476 vessels rendered derelict by Hurricane Ian have been removed from the waters of the state in Charlotte, Collier, Lee, and Monroe counties combined. Lee County saw the removal of 322 of those vessels and there were 63 in Charlotte County.
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Following Hurricane Ian’s landfall, vessel owners were given a 45-day grace period to bring derelict vessels into compliance or remove them from state waters. The grace period was slated to end on Nov. 15, 2022, but FWC extended the waiver acceptance deadline through the end of March 2023. FWC received 323 waivers during this time period.
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A vessel is identified as derelict when it is left in a wrecked, junked, or substantially dismantled condition upon any waters of this state:
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A “junked” vessel is one that has been substantially stripped of vessel components, if vessel components have substantially degraded or been destroyed, or if the owner or operator has discarded the vessel.
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A vessel is “substantially dismantled” if at least two of the three following vessel systems or components are missing, compromised, incomplete, inoperable, or broken: the steering system, the propulsion system, or the exterior hull integrity.
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NOTE: Attaching an outboard motor to a vessel that is junked or substantially dismantled will not cause the vessel to no longer be junked or substantially dismantled if such motor is not an effective means of propulsion as required by 327.4107(2)(e), F.S. and associated rules.
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The FWC Marine Debris Program is continuing to track marine debris that resulted from Hurricane Ian. The marine debris reported for Hurricane Ian was generally grouped into five categories, vessels (in water (DVs) and on land), commercial, fishing, household, and waterway marker/signage. We also included a sixth category for vegetation which, while it is not considered marine debris because it is not a man-made material, is a debris category that needs to be tracked post hurricane. We work with partner agencies to address that debris type.
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Additionally, they continue to work with partners to address (non-derelict) hurricane displaced vessels that landed in the mangroves, over two dozen of which are greater than 125 feet into the mangrove islands. The effort to remove a wide variety of marine debris (from Styrofoam to mattresses) from mangrove habitats throughout the impacted region is ongoing. These sensitive systems can present many challenges for marine debris removal. However, these systems also serve as important bird nesting habitat as well as a first line of defense against storm surge; their restoration is vital, and removal of marine debris will contribute significantly to their recovery.
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To our knowledge, beyond the initial post storm imagery analysis NOAA has not been making any new imagery reports.
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The West Coast Inland Navigation District recently submitted a grant proposal to remove 114 Hurricane Ian displaced vessels. The vast majority of them are in Lee County (Estero Bay), with a few in Charlotte County.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Hurricane Ian’s derelict boats continue to be removed two years later
