摘要: |
Illegal charters have been a thorn in the side of the passenger vessel industry foryears. These charters, for the most part, are privately owned, uninspected vessels that carry passengers for hire, sometimes without a licensed captain aboard. They are a danger to publicsafety, forboth the people aboard and those on the waterway, and unfair competition to licensed com-mercialoperators. The Coast Guard has been working to apprehend, fine and even prosecute the offenders, but that is difficult given limited resources, and the fact that these boats are elusive. A complaint may come in one hour and by the next there is no visible violation. These non-compliant businesses proliferated during the early days of the pandemic when commercial operators were idled. They have not gone away. Since they pay no overhead for regulatory compliance, they have the money to pay huge salaries to their captains and mates, something businesses like Bob Bijur's Island Queen Cruises in Miami cannot do. |