Brevard County fights ongoing battle with derelict boats
In the past 18 months, Brevard County has removed 85 derelict boats from local waterways, and it’s about to remove a few more.
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Brevard County Commissioners recently approved the use of $150,000 dollars in tourist development tax revenue to remove 20 boats out of the more than 30 boats identified as derelict vessels.
The coordinator for the county’s Boating and Waterways program, Matt Culver, told us that funding will be available in October.
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He says derelict vessels can pose both an environmental and navigational hazard.
With the assistance of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the county does try to recover money used to remove derelict boats from the boats’ owners. Culver added, “It’s a constant battle between trying to take the boats out and having the funding to actually take them out.”
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