NAS Key West Cites Boaters in Restricted Areas
Naval Air Station Key West’s Security Forces issued 37 federal citations to
vessels anchored in restricted waters off Fleming Key March 8, including a
number of vessels being operated as vacation rentals.
The enforcement operation was conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Coast
Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Key West Police
Department and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. (Please contact
those law enforcement agencies in order to find out what and how many
violations were cited) NAS Key West’s Port Operations and Search and Rescue
departments provided support in the effort to clear vessels out of
potentially dangerous areas near Fleming Key bunkers that store explosive
materials.
“We’ve continually warned boaters about restricted areas around NAS Key
West, and we’ve had some success in compliance without issuing tickets, but
some boaters have chosen to stay anchored where they shouldn’t be,” said NAS
Key West Commanding Officer Capt. Bobby Baker. “Today those boaters ticketed
are facing a $250 fine, and that’s just for the first violation.”
Restricted areas around NAS Key West under the Code of Federal Regulations
date back to at least 1989 and have been placed on nautical/GPS charts since
then.
“The reason for the restrictions are simply for the safety of the public and
protection of our missions,” said Baker. “Today we focused on Fleming Key,
but the public should be aware that we have restricted areas around much of
the base and encourage boaters to make sure they’re aware of their
surroundings.”
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