Bradenton
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Thursday in Bradenton that restricts dredging in Terra Ceia Bay in response to a company’s proposal to build a cruise port in Manatee County.
Senate Bill 302 included an amendment by state Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, that prohibits major development and dredging in the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve. The amendment permits minor dredging, but would prohibit the large-scale dredging required for a cruise terminal.
“The bill would not allow the dredging that would be necessary to convert this into a commercial cruise ship terminal,” DeSantis said. “The dredging that will be allowed would be for passive recreational fishing, boating, water quality purposes, but not for a new commercial port in this area.”
The approval comes after SSA Marine and Slip Knott LLC announced plans to construct a cruise terminal on the Knott-Cowen Tract adjacent to the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier and Rattlesnake Key. The companies said the plan would cater to mega cruise ships that can’t fit under the Skyway Bridge.
Quickly after the companies announced the plans, community members and environmental advocates showed strong opposition to the plan, and an online petition against the plan garnered thousands of supporters.
“So then you have an issue here in recent months, where there was an idea that had been floated to dredge the water of Terra Ceia Bay and establish a new cruise port terminal in Manatee County,” DeSantis said. “Now that obviously would have a major, major change in the lifestyle and the environment of the folks that live in this area.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 302 into law on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Pier 22 in Bradenton. The bill aims to block the development of a Terra Ceia cruise port terminal in Manatee County. Tiffany Tompkins ttompkins@bradenton.com
While DeSantis touted the importance of Florida’s cruise business in places like Tampa and Miami, he said there’s a “time and a place for that” and said the state wants to preserve Terra Ceia Bay.
“There’s not really a need to add another port in the middle of a conserved area and a quiet preserve, especially given that Tampa Bay is already home to three deep water ports, including Seaport Manatee right here in Manatee County,” DeSantis said. “So construction of a new port next door, I think, struck a lot of people as being unnecessary.”
DeSantis also signed House Bill 1417, which he said streamlines the state’s environmental rule making and makes it easier for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to pass new regulations by eliminating the Environmental Regulation Commission.
State Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, speaks from the podium during a Thursday, March 19, 2026 press conference at Pier 22 in Bradenton as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he would sign a bill aiming to block the development of a Terra Ceia cruise port terminal in Manatee County. Tiffany Tompkins ttompkins@bradenton.com State lawmakers oppose cruise terminal plan
Boyd also attended the Thursday morning press conference to watch DeSantis sign SB 302.
“As the governor said, there’s plenty of cruise terminals around the state and the country,” Boyd said. “They’re good, and we support the cruise industry…but just not there.”
State Rep. Will Robinson, R-Bradenton, also spoke against the proposed cruise terminal, and thanked DeSantis and other state lawmakers for passing the bill.
“I cannot think of a worse place in Florida for a mega cruise ship terminal to be than Terra Ceia,” Robinson said.
In a previous statement to the Bradenton Herald, a spokesperson for SSA Marine said the company was still pursuing the Knott-Cowen Cruise Port project despite the passage of SB 302.
“SSA Marine looks forward to continuing to share our vision for meaningful environmental conservation, local job creation, and long-term economic growth in Manatee County,” spokesperson Sally Dee said in an email. “We remain committed to working constructively and maintaining an open dialogue with state and local leaders, community stakeholders, and regional partners, to ensure this project meets the economic and ecological needs of the region.”
State Rep. Will Robinson, R-Bradenton, speaks from the podium during a Thursday, March 19, 2026 press conference at Pier 22 in Bradenton as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he would sign a bill aiming to block the development of a Terra Ceia cruise port terminal in Manatee County. Tiffany Tompkins ttompkins@bradenton.com
This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 1:40 PM.
Bradenton Herald
Carter Weinhofer is the Bradenton Herald’s Accountability Reporter. He covers politics, development and other local issues. Carter’s work has received recognition from the Florida Press Association, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Florida Society of News Editors. He graduated from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg.