Boat owners were warned that they may be just as culpable as the person operating their boat if they are found in breach of the Commercial Recreational Watercraft Act.
Director of the Port Department Shannandor Evans, addressing the Rotary Club of Lucaya, explained that the Port Department is responsible for enforcing the laws of The Bahamas relevant to registration and regulations of boats and boating activities.
Evans shared several excerpts from Chapter 278A of that Act, which was enacted in 2006 but recently came into force.
Evans noted that a person shall be guilty of an offense and shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or both, if they are the owner of a craft which is not registered, or for which the registration has been cancelled or expired, or for which is not submitted for inspection as prescribed, and who shall ply, offer or let that craft for hire.
That penalty is also the case for the owner of a craft for hire who operates or employs an unlicensed person to operate a craft, as well as for every person who is the owner, operator or person in charge of a craft that is operated contrary to the Act,?unless the craft was operated without his knowledge or consent and he exercised all due diligence to prevent such operation.
