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Personal watercraft (PWC), and the families who enjoy them, have been prohibited from Biscayne National Park since 2000, while all other types of motorboats have unfettered access. This presents a very serious boating safety hazard, as PWC operators cannot traverse the park via the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). Instead, PWC operators must travel around the park, 12 miles out into the Atlantic Ocean rather than travel 2-3 miles inshore along the ICW. For boats 12 feet and under, like PWC, this presents a certain safety risk.

The BOAT Biscayne Coalition - an alliance founded in 2004 by members of the American Watercraft Association, BlueRibbon Coalition, and the Personal Watercraft Industry Association - is very concerned about the safety of PWC operators who are forced to circumvent the park's boundaries because of the current ban. All other boats have access to the ICW. Only PWC are prohibited. To reduce the risk of serious boating accidents and fatalities, the Coalition is encouraging the Park Service to restore PWC access immediately along the ICW as it transverses through Biscayne.

For more information, click here to download our fact sheet "Protecting Boater Safety."