In a significant step toward preserving safety and water quality at the Sea of Galilee, the Kinneret Cities Association is examining the possibility of establishing a maximum quota for motorized vessels allowed on the lake simultaneously. The move comes alongside heightened enforcement against maritime violations, under which a jet ski operator recently received a heavy fine after reckless maneuvering that endangered swimmers.
The Kinneret Cities Association and the Kinneret Limnological Laboratory are assessing measures to reduce overcrowding, increase safety, and prevent pollution in the lake. Arik Tal, head of the supervision and enforcement unit at the Kinneret Cities Association, noted that between 200 and 300 jet skis arrive at the Kinneret every weekend, alongside other motorized watercraft. The association and the laboratory are currently conducting a joint study to monitor and sample in real time the number of vessels operating on the lake. Based on the gathered data, the association aims to set a maximum limit on the number of vessels permitted on the water at the same time. This step is intended to reduce congestion, prevent boating accidents and risks to swimmers, and minimize water pollution caused by fuel and oil leaks.
Too 'monstrous'? A quota was proposed as early as a year and a half ago
A similar measure previously gained support from the police. Chief Superintendent Yigal Ben-Lulu, who commanded the Tiberias Police Station – which has jurisdiction over the Kinneret – for several years, addressed the phenomenon about a year and a half ago as part of the "National Lake" regulation plan he drafted. Ben-Lulu told Walla at the time: "There are 7,000 jet skis in Israel, the vast majority of which come to the Kinneret, and this has become a 'monstrous' event that must be addressed." He proposed examining a cap on motorized vessels at any given time, alongside establishing regulated sites for launching, retrieving, and refueling vessels, replacing the current situation where owners arrive with fuel gas cans.
There are laws and they must be kept
At the same time, the Kinneret Cities Association clarified that enforcement policy against dangerous operators has been tightened. The Tiberias Magistrate's Court recently convicted a jet ski operator and imposed a 15,000 NIS fine as part of a plea bargain, following a series of severe safety violations committed near the Kinneret shores. According to the indictment, the operator, a 33-year-old resident of central Israel, operated the jet ski near Berniki Beach while performing dangerous maneuvers. Among other violations, he operated the jet ski at speeds exceeding 5 knots at a distance of only about 15 meters from the shoreline, repeated the action several times, and entered the 300-meter zone designated for swimmers while towing an inflatable tube with passengers, including children, approaching the buoy of a declared beach. The high fine reflects the escalation in enforcement.
"In cases of wild behavior and tangible danger, indictments are filed that lead to significant fines. Boating as a water sport is a legitimate hobby, but there are laws and they must be kept," Arik Tal clarified. "Anyone who violates them and endangers himself, his passengers, and vacationers swimming in the water – that is no longer legitimate, and that is what we are fighting against. Against anyone who poses a danger."