National Safe Boating Week kicks off Saturday, just days after Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s Boater Safety and Bay Education Task Force met for the final time to help pave the way for a comprehensive action plan.
Miami-Dade County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) hosted the final meeting this past week, when task force members presented and voted on recommendations to promote safety, accountability and stewardship of Biscayne Bay.
The final report outlines a strategy built on the following four pillars:
• Boater education: public awareness campaign and safety education requirements for boat operators and marina slip holders.
• Law enforcement: inter-agency coordination and standardized processes.
• Legislation: expansion of local and state safety requirements to strengthen safety standards and address enforcement gaps.
• Waterway management: vessel-congestion studies for high-risk zones, integrating illegal-charter prevention protocols, and modernization of navigational markers, signage, and mooring infrastructure to improve clarity and safety.
“This marks the close of the Task Force’s charge and the beginning of the work ahead,” Mayor Levine Cava said. “Together, we honor the memories of those we have lost by creating a safer, more responsible, and more compassionate boating community for generations to come.”
The Boater Safety Task Force was created in April 2025, and was designed to examine the full landscape of boating safety by reviewing relevant data, evaluating existing practices and developing recommendations to reduce injuries and fatalities across Miami-Dade County’s waterways. The group, which will include a representative from the Key Biscayne Community Foundation.
“This is not just a document, it is a road map,” said Andres Fernandez, from The Lucy Fernandez Foundation. ”Grounded in education, law enforcement, legislation, and waterway management, it offers practical, achievable recommendations we believe can make a real difference in preventing future tragedies.
“But the work cannot stop here. There must be a permanent, consistent mechanism to track progress, ensure accountability, and address what is yet unknown. … It is about saving lives and ensuring that what happened to Lucy, Ella (Adler), and the countless innocent victims never happens again.”
Throughout the year, Task Force members engaged with law enforcement, educators, maritime professionals, and community advocates to identify gaps and develop solutions grounded in data, experience and compassion.
Among some of the comprehensive list recommendations developed in March included:
• Launch high-visibility campaigns (billboards, airport ads, transit signage).
• Develop multilingual outreach (English/Spanish).
• Require proof of passing a state-approved boater safety course before granting county marina slips or ramp decals.
• Integrate boater safety into schools and swimming programs already promoted by the Mayor.
• Expand life jacket loaner stations at marinas and ramps (and partner with sports teams to make them more appealing).
• Simplify and standardize speed zone signage across Biscayne Bay.
• Restore navigation markers to pre-Hurricane Andrew levels for improved safety and orientation.
• Increase law enforcement presence during peak boating times through partnerships with FWC and off-duty officers.
All the recommendations will now be transmitted to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners for their review and final consideration.
“I’m committed to building on our progress,” said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Micky Steinberg. “We want people to enjoy our waterways safely and responsibly, with safety as our top priority.”
National Safe Boating Week continues through Memorial Day weekend.