Miami closes down Biscayne Bay islands due to trash being left behind

The city of Miami was forced to take drastic action and temporarily closed down all four of its spoil islands in Biscayne Bay because of the enormous amounts of trash a little visitors leave behind.

[@Ailenna]

People are so disgusting 🤮

[@davidwright873]

odd they have to be told....For me that would be a no brainer.....

[@carlosalenduran4630]

They are despicable

[@freddypflugbeil6]

I thought people would be better at this point in time what a freaky thing to do

[@letstalkaboutgermany8288]

I came here to say that too! People ARE so disgusting!!

[@jeffdur1330]

Everyone except you, right?

[@ffjsb]

You shouldn't have to tell people this. Start charging people to visit the island, bet that eliminates a lot of it.

[@deanbush]

Doubt that would make any difference because these people believe that if they pay, they are entitled to throw their trash on the island and let someone else clean it for that fee. these people are just ignorant. Most of them are from Latin American countries where they just simply never learned that littering is not good.

[@Leftysrpedos]

Need to increase fines to crazy amounts to get people to move

[@girlsamurai19]

Mount Everest and Mount Fuji have trash issues also smh

[@billjones3071]

Absolutely disgusting, it’s all over the roadways also, disgusting people, impose very heavy fines and jail time

[@gtsandsinc]

Wasn’t like that 40 hrs ago before the new settlers floated up

[@billjones3071]

@@gtsandsinc That’s all they know, how they live and a reflection of their home land

[@theoryofpersonality1420]

Where I live littering is a 3,000$ fine for the first offense and after that it's jail time, I think 30 days, six months probation and a 6,000$ fine. Their offence is a year in jail, parole that they pay for, drug test that they pay for, and a really high fine. People here don't litter. It's taken seriously here because they don't want it in the water. It should be that way everywhere.

[@maryrodriguez5661]

When they figure out that it’s all of the NEW Cubans arriving in Miami ,who are trashing all of our public parks and beaches ‼️ THIS IS WHAT THEY DO IN CUBA ‼️ 😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮 Oh ! And add to that , that they are PEEING ANY WHERE THEY PLEASE , YES IN PUBLIC ‼️ THE OTHER DAY A CAR STOPS IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE AND THE MEN OPENS THE CAR DOOR AND STARTS PEEING ‼️ THE POLICE NEEDS TO KNOW THIS ‼️‼️

[@maryrodriguez5661]

@@gtsandsincI totally agree with you ‼️ they are disgusting . And wait till you see what my families witnessed, this New Settler stopped his car in front of our house opened the door took out his you know what, and started peeing. THIS IS DISGUSTING ‼️

[@bwatkins10va]

No consequences. No concern

[@Distress.]

Signs are nice but cameras and fines are nicer.

[@andreward8268]

Fine Boaters Caught: $1,000 per trash item left

[@frankrivera7460]

They'll dump it in the ocean.

[@pamelanadel3787]

They already have!

[@FortunateXpat]

Sicilian style!

[@liamwatson5125]

If the tide comes in, it’s going to pull all that garbage into the ocean causing pollution.

[@mannyrodriguez5453]

Close it down for good.

[@theoryofpersonality1420]

You can't close public land. It's the states responsibility to provide trash service and cans. Even if it's by barge. They should however implement severe fines and even jail time time for repeat offenders.

[@NalaRichenbach]

@@theoryofpersonality1420 Heavy duty fines and if they don't pay those fines...they cannot register any boats or vehicles in the state of Florida. Also, if it really gets out of control, I think the city or county there can implement a reservation/fee policy for boaters who want to use the island. If it starts affecting the marine and plant life there, they probably could get a Judge to give permission to shut the islands down.

[@OGJeff685]

​@@theoryofpersonality1420 They sure can, is it part of Key B national park? If so they can close down whatever they want, 500 dollar fine if you step on it. Everglades national park has closed 100's of islands to everyone.

[@garyt3hsna1l82]

exactly, florida doesn't have the tax revue to pay for it so put a wall around it instead. simple as that.

[@susannpatton2893]

​@@theoryofpersonality1420 they close public land all the time. And yes they can and should.

[@dmotta2811]

It’s sad. These people are ridiculous.

[@carlosalenduran4630]

And then they say that the homeless people are doing trash and look who's doing it

[@phatzwave4424]

Anybody can be a litterbug, even you.

[@carlosalenduran4630]

@@phatzwave4424 well you're wrong about that

[@MikeSears1128]

Not sure how many homeless camps you have been to, but homeless create large dumps.

[@carlosalenduran4630]

@@MikeSears1128 and soda straight people they're smoking around and smoking marijuana everywhere and they don't know how to drive and they pollute and they're very disrespectful and they're not polite and they're straight for no reason and everybody's having a big mistake

[@tmartinez1948]

Not acceptable

[@scott331]

You notice that this only happens in Miami Dade??? In Broward and other counties the residents clean up behind themselves and also clean up along the way to disposing their trash! Miami has become a cesspool

[@Glowsaphinebaker]

Miami is beautiful. Broward has a sale on white sheets 😂😂😂

[@fg3901]

'Common human decency' did she say? She must be new to Miami.

[@AC-ly6tg]

😢😢😢😢😢 so true unfortunately

[@susannpatton2893]

Nah, just expecting more from its residents

[@NalaRichenbach]

That is disgusting and unacceptable. They need to start handing out fines. I can't imagine eating a meal from a fast food place and leaving all the trash from that on the ground. What is wrong with people?

[@phage1232]

Fence off the islands make it illegal to go there if people can’t listen close it down permanently

[@schobas]

Forget the fine, impound boats for littering. Same for motor vehicles.

[@dipfedcamaro1645]

Millions of dollars to own and operate a vessel but don’t have the knowledge to pick up the trash

[@sojourner239]

It isn’t knowledge it’s common decency.

[@jeffdur1330]

What vessel are you using that costs millions to operate?

[@lookatit.4925]

My gas bill is less then $500 a year and Im on the water 150+ days a year.

[@liamwatson5125]

Stash your trash or lose your cash.

[@jeffdur1330]

@@lookatit.4925 can I come

[@arthurhudson3592]

That's disgusting just imagine how people homes is that shows how you is in heart ❤️

[@rastajah9014]

Well said

[@georgekrisanda2481]

Their houses are clean because they dump their trash in other places

[@arthurhudson3592]

@georgekrisanda2481 maybe for some but not for all usually how a person act on the streets is how they act at home

[@alanscott-th2hv]

Shut them down 500.00 fine to trespass

[@mrtee3477]

$2000

[@theoryofpersonality1420]

It's the states responsibility to keep it clean, provide can and trash service. Game wardens are supposed to patrol the areas. Tax dollars pay for this but instead they send it to foreign countries. For those who litter it should be a 3,000$ like it is here for the first offense and probation they pay for. Second offense 6k and 30 days in jail. Third offense is the three strike law.

[@susannpatton2893]

​@@theoryofpersonality1420it's people's responsibility to not trash it to begin with

[@audraarndt1824]

People are disgusting. Its commom sense not to litter.

[@brianclark1512]

Close island, arrest trespassers. They can't follow instructions, your done coming here

[@Misty-gc6bq]

People are so destructive ☹️

[@SJ-oxy]

If you want to protect something, you need someone protecting it. Unfortunately that means patrols and fines.

[@christinemiller7238]

Common decency is not common.

[@tshaffer9681]

I was taught to leave things better than you found them.

[@christinemiller7238]

@@tshaffer9681 Me too

[@tatoweb]

That’s why boating in Miami is a no-no for me. Between this and crazy disrespectful boaters it is disgraceful

[@thedirtybubble9613]

And then some people wonder why Miami is going to hell in a hand basket. It's the people ruining it. Everyone. From developers, politicians, criminals, boaters, beach goers, illegal immigrants, politicians, developers, crooked cops, etc.

[@CesarHernandez-ht5ex]

Close it if they trash it .

[@jeffdur1330]

They did close it lol watch the video

[@edwardroche2480]

These guys are doing a good thing, if you're still having troubles make videos of the people next to the things they're going to leave behind, bag it as evidence and call them into court pictures of the boats with the numbers that they come and go in . They'll start taking it with them or you can send them a bill or a ticket that they have to pay or have their boat registration revoked

[@rrosen7370]

Just unbelievable 😡🤬

[@cdola5944]

Stop treating Miami like Cuba and we wont have this problem

[@adidas3s506]

They look Venezuelan and we all know they hate America but choose to live here

[@v.l.c3979]

Exactly!! Thank you...

[@kmichael2248]

Stop treating Florida like you're back home in New York or New Jersey. Go home if you can't clean up after yourself

[@OGJeff685]

@@kmichael2248 Bro, You have no clue. These people aren't from NY or NJ. Clueless you are.

[@ilovecatvideos1851]

Racist, partisan, blame it on out of state visitors. My FELLOW FLORIDIANS are responsible for all sorts of nasty behavior including spitting on people in 2020 before any vaccines or treatment for COVID, leading to the recipient being on a ventilator-yes a good old boy native Floridian. Miami happens to be 70% Latino but this happens EVERYWHERE and the GOP blocks regulations that would keep corporations from DUMPING their 💩 directly our rivers and air. So the lily white Republicans are the biggest polluters in this country.

[@quique5284]

No more motorized water crafts!!!

[@rea8755]

It's real simple $1,000 dollar fine for littering. Alabama has the cleanest roads because of that law.

[@JohnSkyLey]

Not good enough. Jail time is needed

[@theoryofpersonality1420]

I've been to Alabama. Louisiana is cleaner but the law here is 3k first offense and probation they pay for. 6k second offense, 30 days in jail, and probation they pay for. Third offense is 1 year in jail. They also get a fine and probation they pay for. All three times it's 300$ court cost on top of everything else.

[@wstadlock]

Enforcement of littering laws is the problem, how to catch them and subsequently have the evidence to have a conviction hold up. Cameras! I hate to say, Is only way!

[@rea8755]

@@wstadlock are you saying law enforcement doesn't enforce laws? Hmm i wonder how many boaters have received litter tickets?

[@v.l.c3979]

Facts, I've been to Alabama several times and yes the roads are clean!

[@tee4222]

This is the complete wrong way to go. I was part of a handful of people that cleaned up that island back in 2010 or so. Before that, it was 100 times worse than it is now, people didn’t even use the east side of the island because of the amount of trash. We loaded up literally hundreds of bags of garbage onto a pontoon boat that had to make a bunch of trips. It looked like it had been accumulating for years and most of it had blown in from the bay. After that, we had an agreement with the police that as long as we cleaned up after ourselves and left before sunset, we could lug speakers and dj equipment out to have parties there. It went on for years up till covid and worked to keep the place pretty clean, as we’d clean up all the accumulated trash from the week since the last party. Ever since that stopped it’s been getting worse and worse. But this isn’t going to make it better. Nobody from the city goes out there to clean up(except like this one rare time). A good amount of the trash comes from the bay and blows onto the island. I see the marine patrol out on the water all the time but I’ve never once seen anyone ticketed for littering on these islands. Blocking access isn’t going to clean up the islands. Why can’t they impose heavy fines and actually enforce it? Cameras to identify the responsible people. The city could easily organize volunteer cleanup crews. It’s like they always choose a route that one, doesn’t work, and two, penalizes all the people that play by the rules as well. And get ready for the sandbars to get a lot more dangerous and crowded.

[@user-ls1dk9pf3m]

Why are the oblivious...they don't care.

[@cucujuju88]

THIS ISNT CUBA YOU CAN TRASH OUR ISLANDS

[@deloresdeal5239]

People are nasty every where they don’t care about our environment 😢

[@TheVitalforce3]

Society has rules/laws for a reason. Some, we don't always agree with and some take away our freedom. However, no one should have to clean up another persons trash! More importantly, our waters/environment should not suffer due to selfish, inconsiderate & lazy people! You bring it, you take it home! Period.

[@Maria-tq8ck]

Take your trash home with you ! Teach your children this too .

[@kelmy5433]

Allow people to report one another for a reward, and I promise you those islands will be watched like hawks. People will not risk the fines if they know there are consequences. Make the fines $100 or more-people only listen when there are significant consequences. If they still commit violations, they should pay. This provides easy money for the city to fund policing, and huslters looking to make easy money will help enforce the rules effectively!

[@zoemayne]

If they are getting drunk they will not pick it up. Just shut it down. Maybe have a paid service fee them to use the island and use that to fund daily pick ups thats the only way this will work. Cant expect drunkards to be responsible

[@Distress.]

Nonsense, no matter how drunk I've gotten I've never failed to clean up after myself.

[@danielwymer1580]

This is pretty typical of your beer drinkers, you could put a trashcan 20 feet away and they would throw their empty beer bottle on the ground,

[@natbfunky]

We have so many Criminals setting in our jails and prison system during nothing let them clean this trash up

[@vivaldi1948]

That's beneath them.

[@rollyherrera623]

Looks like Haiti!!!

[@susannpatton2893]

Looks like any United States recreational area. From its own citizens trashing their state - quit trying to deflect. It looked like that before they got here. Why? Because people are trashy. Your own kids throw their trash on the ground. It's not them. It's you

[@2catsonboat]

Use convict labor to pick up trash. Finance supervision and logistics with fines for littering. Sort of a "Cool Hand Luke" meets "Gilligan's Island"

[@patrkbukly]

I think its funny that only now The City of Miami realizes closing access to the areas being destroyed is the solution.

[@msantanadiaz1]

Thank you guys!!! I hope this brings awareness to all those nasty people.

[@user-yr4pr3kb4n]

Put cameras 📷

[@edwardroche2480]

We had the same problem down in the Florida Keys. They put guard rails up on both sides of the road and only very limited parking. T table key

[@user-tq5ff4ck1k]

I’ve been noticing more and more trash everywhere. It’s almost like there a lot of people new to area that don’t know they are supposed to clean up after themselves.

[@dbraymore]

I enjoyed these islands as a young man and this disgusts me. It is sad to see and it is sad to say but the islands need to be closed or extreme action taken to offset the damage and cost of repair. Something in the order of having to buy a season pass akin to a fishing license, the islands be monitored to ensure the people there have proper passes and heavy fines issued for those who don't and those caught littering.

[@alanscott-th2hv]

Thanks LT

[@bigjohnnywolf7500]

We do roadside clean up twice a month and there is always bags of trash from people who toss it out the window as they drive by, it is total disregard of the environment.

[@deanbush]

I wonder if it’s possible to provide policing on the islands?

[@runningwater7873]

I am so happy you are closing the islands. People choose to be dirty, this is our environment. Close the islands permanently.

[@tshaffer9681]

Good 👍. If you abuse it you can't use it. !!!!

[@timallison8560]

it would be cheaper to have some police monitoring and ticketing litterers than needing dozens of teams and hundreds of people to clean the mess up afterwards.

[@buffaloman5042]

Part of the problem is its just getting too crowded down here

[@AndrewDavie-er3ug]

I live in a college apartment complex. There’s garbage around the trash bins but not in them.

[@user-il1sd2ec1c]

My daughter grew up playing in that park everyday! We cleaned trash always!!!!

[@Atitlan1222]

I used to live in the Dominican Republic and it was commonplace for people to stand around in the surf with a bottle of rum or beer and just toss it and go back to shore. palenque beach is a prime example on the south coast. It's beautiful but after each weekend it's literally covered with trash.

[@roundtwo3321]

That's insane. Too much leniency from the very beginning. Police should not have to be the trash collectors; they already have a job.

[@StephenEFyffe]

Thank You!!! Close the islands down from these careless people!

[@alexro1055]

Nobody goes to public park to take trash with them 😂

[@bmanscire]

The city needs to have more trash containers available to the public

[@jameylane1591]

This isn't Mexico.

[@PaulA-ns9te]

no it's americans doing this sh1t. many of them are rich white people/ 3rd gen. cuban-americans who's grandparents fled castro and scream about socialism while dumping their sh1t on the beach expecting someone else to clean it up.

[@AlbertoGonzalez..]

This ain’t Florida is what I tell my self when u guys come to Texas

[@Hippitidippity]

I guess you're ignorant self didn't realize that it's worse here than in any country

[@jameylane1591]

@@AlbertoGonzalez.. You lost the war amigo....deal with it.

[@Canoneosmiami]

Did they say no garbage cans for people to throw it to ? Why ?

[@DefinitelyNotAFerret]

Their parents must be so proud

[@rizendell]

The people responsible should have their boat registrations revoked for 5 years. Make them pay personally and not escape on an apology or excuse.

[@thedirtybubble9613]

The common theme here that we keep seeing? Most boaters are entitled, foolish and trashy people.

[@MikeSears1128]

So the next question? Where do all these boaters go to the bathroom? Next item, what kind of seafood is harvested from this area, shrimp might be large for a reason, the special food they eat.

[@freddypflugbeil6]

It's all freaky everywhere

[@retiredlawman4710]

The one man in the video said it all ; " There's no Enforcement " . No ENFORCEMENT means no consequence for the violaters . Therefore the problem will continue .

[@badkarma5776]

If they fail to keep it clean, shut the islands down. School of hard knocks!

[@instupitious]

So Florida. The Seminole weep.

[@susannpatton2893]

From 500 years ago. They were driven out by yt people long long ago

[@TedSurfsupdude]

The wrong kind of people here now that just don't care...

[@Dougarrowhead]

All of the bank fishing spots at 2 of our local lakes are like this. Parking lots full of trash. Modelo bottles and piles of human poop everywhere. They no speak english.

[@AC-ly6tg]

@@Dougarrowheadomg 😷🤮

[@Dougarrowhead]

@@AC-ly6tg it will only get worse.

[@mandulis]

It is so easy to walk with a couple of plastic bags and take your trash with you. 😔😔

[@deanbush]

GOOD!!!! Whoever came up with this solution is a genius!! These voters have been trashing these islands and Biscayne Bay for the past 30 years!!

[@Walsta19]

Close the islands on the weekends and holidays 🤷🏾‍♀️.

[@mannylopez15986]

And that loud, Walmart type of music is disgusting too. God.

[@michaelsiengo1]

10,000 miles away on the island of Guam. It’s the same thing all the beaches are trashed except for the military bases.

[@Torgo-and-the-Lucifer-Cat]

Plead?? How about high fines and arrest??

[@HuplesCat]

Dumping should be a capital offence

[@keithburton5877]

Totally ridiculous. “It’s all about the party and not about the consequences…” That’s the state of our world today.

[@rosamuniz68]

Sad that people are just nasty and have no respect for anything. Why do they think that people should clean up after them!!!

[@liamwatson5125]

That was the last straw.

[@mikej70]

Wow never seen anywhere so quickly trashed! People are disgusting!

[@tommynonstop]

Trail cameras would fix this

[@Ziggy33-pm5pl]

Good!

[@DarthUr-zd2hp]

Looks a lot like certain communities around my home city. They throw trash on the ground because they don’t care about anything

[@davidwright873]

is that a huge red acrylic desk they're sitting behind? oddly overdone for news people...Like put up a pole or something....lol

[@robocop2u2]

There's the problem. Trash pick up from an active beach is only ONCE a week🤦‍♂️🤦‍♀️🤦

[@genolouis9858]

It's a dam shame. And people wonder why they can't never catch a break...it's like talking to a wall.

[@BuhodePiedra]

Culturally speaking we had a green revolution here with Rachel Carson and educating the youth to tread lightly when in nature etc. other countries have just had decades of trying to survive. The ethic of not littering in nature has not been drilled into people from other countries like it has to kids in the USA. We see this in California with Mexican people littering all over campgrounds in Big Sur and the Sierras. Not saying white peoples don’t litter.. but there is definitely a cultural difference here.

[@melindaunknown6411]

These people get drunk and their judgement goes out the window.

[@flashmcdash36]

Cleaning up after a party is such a bummer! Let the janitors and Moms do it. I didn't move to Florida and buy a boat so I can clean up.

[@girlsamurai19]

Mount Everest and Mount Fuji have trash issues also smh

[@75YBA]

Shame on them. Surfers don’t do this.

[@mineTS90]

Assign someone to be on duty there. Make sure there a departure point for all boats visiting there. Put up environmental fees to visit the island. Make sure there are patrols roaming around the island. Fine people for loitering there.

[@robd7934]

Very sad. Those people have no sense of decency nor do they seem to care about the consequences of trashing the island. It’s not that hard to clean up after yourself.

[@orbsandshadows8899]

It’s a shame. I hope the situation is resolved and the litterbugs change their behavior. Taking the cans away is NOT going to work

[@npcdd1652]

Set up solar powered live cameras. I’m sure citizens and local environmental activists would monitor them.

[@solarwind907]

You would want to have high resolution cameras so you can get license plates, etc. Then post pictures of the people and their license plates on the web so they can get the publicity they deserve.

[@victoriascholl4607]

Wow how sad, my family has rule leave the places we visit as clean or cleaner the than we found it!

[@dcgo44r]

There you have.. keep the people coming to SFL.

[@MM-fe9mz]

Unfortunately leave no trace isn't something most understand. Need a big dumpster or something, then pay for it with fines for littering.

[@user-hs8dy2ve9x]

I'm sorry but the people who litter will NOT learn. All they are concerned about is not taking the trash on their boats (if pulled over they would probably get a DUI)