This is a program run by the Department of Natural Resources aimed at minimizing the impact that abandoned launches, yolas and boats have on marine ecosystems.
The Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA) announced the launch of an "aggressive program" to remove abandoned vessels from Puerto Rico's coasts, aimed at reducing the impact they have on marine ecosystems around the archipelago.
Four vessels have already been removed, and the DRNA has identified 70 more for removal in the coming months. Some are floating; others are submerged.
"What we are looking for with this new program is to encourage the removal of decommissioned and abandoned vessels, including those that are partially or fully submerged, at an early stage in order to minimize the impact they have on ecosystems. To do that we need to identify them quickly in the process, which is why we offered the training workshop (on Tuesday)."
Waldemar Quiles, designated secretary of Natural Resources
Staff trained to comply with the law
The DRNA said this initiative is part of compliance with Ley 35 of 2024, the Ley de Navegación y Seguridad Acuática de Puerto Rico, which defines what constitutes an abandoned vessel and establishes a set of criteria for vessel removal.
As part of this law, courses were offered to agency employees to help them identify abandoned vessels. The workshop was led by marine biologist and coordinator of the Programa de Especiales Protegidas, Dr. Nilda Jiménez, and was attended by members of the Maritime Units of the DRNA's Cuerpo de Vigilantes, among others.
A vessel is considered abandoned if it meets one of the following criteria:
Registration sticker expired by six months or more
No means of identification
Its owner cannot be located through government databases
It poses a risk to public health or ecosystems
It is in a noticeably advanced state of deterioration, such as scrap, substantially damaged or dismantled
Aguadilla
Fajardo
Isabela
Lajas
Salinas
Vieques
What are the steps for removing a vessel?
After the DRNA identifies an apparently abandoned vessel at a public or private port or dock within Puerto Rico's waters, it must follow these steps, according to Ley 35-2024:
Contact the owner: if one exists, they will be contacted at the last registered address and notified that removal will proceed within the next 30 days.
Public notice in a newspaper or on DRNA social media: the owner will be notified through an announcement that their vessel will be removed in 30 days.
Post a notice on the vessel: it will be noted that the vessel has been identified as abandoned and will be removed in 30 days.
If the owner comes forward and contacts the DRNA, they will be required to take responsibility for the vessel and cover removal costs, as well as any applicable fines.
If no owner comes forward within 60 days of the notice published in the newspaper, the DRNA may seize the vessel, remove it and sell it at public auction or otherwise dispose of it. If it cannot recover the money spent on removing and disposing of the vessel, the DRNA may file a collection action for the remaining debt against the last registered owner in the government database.
Abandoned boats, a problem
Abandoned vessels are a serious problem along Puerto Rico's coasts, particularly in the wake of hurricanes Irma and María, which caused damage to thousands of these watercraft.
Last year, Nilda Jiménez, the biologist who coordinates the DRNA's Protected Species Program, estimated that around a hundred vessels are abandoned each year in the waters of our archipelago. These are not only recreational boats; there are also yolas and lanchas that were used for illegal activity, such as drug trafficking or human smuggling.
At the time, Jiménez said there were no funds allocated for removing these vessels, but Law 35-2024 was later passed, establishing that owners can be charged for the costs incurred in those processes.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
