New safety standards are being recommended by the Miami-Dade County Boater Safety and Bay Education Task Force, targeting what leaders call “serious safety risks.”
Daniella Levine Cava organized the group last year. On Monday, the task force delivered a list of proposals aimed at better protecting and educating boaters in Biscayne Bay.
Among the recommendations is the creation of a boater ID system to ensure people using county-managed marinas receive adequate safety education.
The group is also pushing for a unified citation system and database for marine patrol agencies. Currently, enforcement is split among the City of Miami, Miami Beach, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Miami-Dade County — each with its own citation process.
Katherine Fernandez Rundle said a single database would streamline enforcement and investigations.
She pointed to the response following a deadly July 2025 crash near Hibiscus Island, when a barge collided with a sailboat, killing three children. Multiple agencies had to determine jurisdiction, leadership, and who would file charges.
“I don’t think the lines were so well delineated,” Fernandez Rundle said. “Maybe they could have been in the past. Hopefully, moving forward it will be very clear.”
The task force is also considering the creation of a dedicated “boat court” to oversee marine enforcement cases.
Additionally, members are urging county commissioners to replace missing navigational markers throughout Biscayne Bay. Many were destroyed during Hurricane Andrew and have yet to be restored decades later.
“Not only do I notice the absence of markers, but I also notice when they get hit and there’s no utility to go and fix them,” said Bobby “Dlite” Dimmie, owner of South Beach Party Boats. “We’ve actually volunteered multiple times to go out and put them up. Also, the markers need to be lit because we don’t only boat during the day.”
