ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Those who went boating on Saturday near Anna Maria Island were among the first to do so following the executive order the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued Friday afternoon.
Issued at the direction of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, FWC Executive Order 20-09 sets forth temporary conditions that now apply to boaters using Florida waterways.
While the order remains in effect, recreational vessel occupancy is limited to no more than 10 persons per vessel and recreational boaters must maintain a minimum distance of 50 feet from other vessels.
“This distance provision does not apply to permitted mooring fields, public or private marinas or any other permanently installed wet slips, and does not apply to vessels underway unless they are tied, rafted or moored to another vessel,” the FWC executive order says.
“This shall expire when the Governor’s Executive Order 20-52, expires unless rescinded or superseded at a sooner date,” the FWC order says.
Applicable statewide, the FWC order was issued on Friday, March 27 – one day after the public boat ramps in Manatee County closed.
The Manatee County boat ramp closures provide exceptions for the commercial fishermen still allowed to use the Coquina South Boat Ramp in Bradenton Beach and the Riverside Boat Ramp in Palmetto.
“Commercial fishing operations with a Florida Saltwater Products License (SPL) for commercial fishing will be allowed to launch at the two boat ramps,” said the Wednesday, March 25 press release issued by Manatee County.
The county boat ramp closures do not provide any exceptions for charter captains.
Manatee County officials also closed Beer Can Island – also known as Greer Island – which is actually a peninsula extending under the Longboat Key bridge.
With the FWC executive order and the county boat ramp closures now in effect, many recreational boaters gathered legally offshore of Jewfish Key on Saturday afternoon.
From the vantage point of the Longboat Pass Bridge, there appeared to be fewer boats in that area than there were on Sunday, March 22. The boats gathered Saturday were less densely clustered and more spread out than what was witnessed during the previous weekend.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit patrolled the Intracoastal Waterway waters near Jewfish Key on Saturday afternoon, and there were no boats beached at Beer Can Island.
At the north end of Anna Maria Island, boaters gathered offshore near the City Pier and the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria.
And large numbers of boaters gathered near Passage Key and Egmont Key, north of Anna Maria Island.
Sarasota boat ramps closed
On Saturday evening, the city of Sarasota announced the closing of two city-owned public boat ramps.
According to the press release the city of Sarasota issued Saturday evening, the city-owned 10th Street Boat Ramps, the City Island Boat Ramps and the Bird Key Park parking lot were closing to the public at 6 a.m. on Sunday, March 29.
The press release noted the closure was “part of emergency orders related to the COVID-19 public health emergency.”
When contacted Saturday evening, city of Sarasota Senior Communications Manager Jan Thornburg was asked if the Manatee County boat ramp closures impacted the city’s decision to close its public boat ramps.
“We’ve seen an increase with boaters who aren’t following the CDC’s social distancing guidelines. We’re not sure where they are from,” Thornburg said.
Thornburg was asked if commercial fishermen will still be allowed to use the two boat ramps closed to recreational boaters.
“Right now, the interpretation is that all commercial fishermen will be exempted. The city attorney may consider revising this emergency order to include this exemption,” Thornburg said.
According to the press release, “Those who do not voluntarily comply with the new emergency orders related to the closure of the boat ramps and the Bird Key Park parking lot may be issued a citation by a sworn Sarasota police officer. A violation would be considered a second-degree misdemeanor.”
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Public boat ramps in Manatee County closed
