France's Cannes to ban cruise ships that violate emission norms

Cannes, a resort town in French Riveria and France's fourth-biggest cruise ship port, has announced on September 23 that it will ban some cruise ships in the upcoming year to enhance the air quality in the city. The decision comes after the mayor of the city, David Lisnard, conducted a survey on how the cruise ships were contributing to the pollution and affecting the local eco-system. The ban will target ships that violate the norms of 0.1% cap on sulphur in their fuel emissions and may stop some passengers from disembarking in the city famous for its film festival. According to Lisnard, 370,000 people visited Cannes by cruise ship in 2018.

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Cruise ships operate on fuel oil that contains 2000 times sulphur than ordinary diesel

As per the European Union’s clean air policy, the cap has already been imposed in the Baltic, North Sea, and Channel ports and may be further extended to the Mediterranean. German pollution analyst Axel Friedrich said cruise ships operate on fuel oil that contains 2000 times sulphur than ordinary diesel. The mayor of the city said they will no longer accept passengers coming from cruise ships that violate the set emissions target. If ships approach the port violate the rules, they won't be permitted to unload any passengers.

The residents of the tourist town often criticize the huge growth of the cruise ship industry which is considered to be an indirect threat to the environment.

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30 million passengers are expected to cruise on almost 300 ships: CLIA

Earlier, Italy's main conservation group said Venice should be put on the United Nations’ list of endangered cities. The cruise ships should be banned from their fragile lagoon to prevent an ecological disaster. According to the figures of industry's main trade association, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), 30 million passengers are expected to cruise on almost 300 ships this year which is almost a two-fold increase from around 18 million a decade ago. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, that account 40 percent of Cannes’ maritime traffic signed a Cruise Charter deal with the city of Cannes, promising to make its ships more environment-friendly.

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