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Dina
Fried, David Nenner, |
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Maritime standards especially international standards for protecting the water resources and regulation of waste disposal are largely ineffective because most of the regulations deal with the shipping industry rather than the cruise line industry. Due to the financial implications of the industry in the past few years the cruise line industry has gained momentum in becoming proactive to the environmental. Tourism to the Caribbean depends on pristine waters and beautiful islands to attract customers.
While the tourism industry caters to more than 613 million people a year, tourist activities also generate pollution. The waste includes the discharge of sewage into the sea, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions from transport, and solid wastes. In the Caribbean alone, it is estimated that more than 70,000 tons of waste are produced each year. The environment is also impacted by the physical development of tourist facilities. (www.ourpoint.com)
Urbanization is linked to tourist development. It has eroded three- quarters of the sand dunes on the Mediterranean coastline between Spain and Sicily. Cruise ships discard their waste by dumping it overboard, and the waters are subsequently dirtied.
The impact of this waste on tourism is astronomical. Garbage on beaches and unclean water leads to a decrease of visitors to these otherwise popular vacation spots. The consequences equate to lost revenues for hotels, transportation, local businesses, leisure activities and all indirect avenues related to tourism.
To prevent further pollution of the ocean, the IMO introduced a series of measures designed to prevent accidents and minimize the consequences if an accident should occur. The IMO sets the standards for all vessels (including cruise line industry) that operate internationally. It is an established United Nations governing body that is based in London.
The IMO process is similar to the U.S. legislative process. Committees formed from representatives of the member states carry out their work with assistance of representatives from IMO member delegations. The IMO grants consultative status to 30 international governmental organizations and 50 non-governmental organizations. All these organizations come together to examine maritime issues and set the standards for all commercial vessels.
Among the representatives working with the IMO is the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard is responsible for presenting the United States position on various maritime safety matters for the consideration by the IMO. As one of the leading experts on maritime safety, the Coast Guard is responsible for the implementation of numerous IMO conventions. The IMO’S main objective is to improve vessel safety but since the late 60’s when a number of major tanker accidents occurred, the IMO has taken further action to prevent marine pollution. (WWW.iccl.org/publicinfo/maritime.html)
The most important of the measures taken is a treaty known as MARPOL 73/78. The treaty was adopted in two stages, first in 1973 and later in 1978. It covers pollution in all forms, from accidental oil pollution to pollution by chemicals, goods in packaged form, sewage and garbage. MARPOL 73/78 was enacted after the International Convention for the prevention of pollution from ships was held. The origin of the word MARPOL, stems from the first three letters of marine and pollution. It is the legal cornerstone of all cleanup efforts. Below is a sample of the contents of Protocol 1.
Provisions concerning Reports on Incidents Involving Harmful Substances:
After MARPOL was enacted, cruise lines lessened the amount of waste thrown overboard. MARPOL distinguishes five categories of waste:
Our next discussion a case study of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.
©Dina Fried, David Nenner, Heather Triano, Jenine Verdina
Business and the Environment, Summer, 1999
whayes@orion.ramapo.edu