Cruise & Ferry Review - Spring/Summer 2021

1 5 4 CFR GREEN L I ST started to replace its diesel plant with electric vehicles and has facilitated a key tenant’s installation of a 48-kilowatt solar electric system. The authority has also donated more than 30 tonnes of end-of-life fishing net to be recycled into a diverse range of products such as clothing, kayaks and mobile phone cases through Nurdle, an organisation that aims to remove microplastics from the environment. An increasing number of aquaculture sites in the Bay provide a sustainable source of seafood. Sustainable tourism As the main port of the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, Norway’s Port of Longyearbyen normally hosts more than 300 cruise calls a year, including both turnarounds for the expedition segment and transit calls for the conventional segment. In 2021 construction is taking place on a new barge to handle luggage, supplies and crew for the ships on anchor, for a more sustainable handling of the expedition vessels turning in Longyearbyen. This year, Visit Svalbard will revise its master plan for tourism to include the cruise segment and consider all elements of sustainability when defining the future tourism mix for Svalbard. Together with the Municipality of Heraklion, Crete’s Port of Heraklion has participated in a Global Sustainable Tourism Council destination assessment together with Corfu, co-funded by Cruise Lines International Association, port authorities and municipalities of these two top Greek cruise destinations. The results of this assessment, which is expected to be concluded by summer 2021, will support future initiatives to ensure sustainable management of Heraklion as tourism destination. Reducing emissions, pollution and waste At the Ports of the Chamber of Commerce of Nice in France, a ‘Cruise Charter’ agreed by the Old Port of Nice and the city of Nice in 2020 has been signed by all the companies calling at the port. It commits companies and cruise ships to reducing emissions into the air with the use of fuel containing less than 0.1 per cent sulphur upon entering the piloting zone; prohibiting any discharge at sea during stopovers; protecting biodiversity; and implementing a globalised environmental approach. In addition, an agreement with Corsica Ferries has been reached to ensure the use of low-sulphur fuel by visiting ferries. In 2020, Canada’s Port Saint John helped divert 2,700 pounds of rope from entering the ocean through the Debris Free Fundy initiative. “In partnership with Eastern Charlotte Waterways, we are also trying to gain a better understanding of the impact of operational noise on the marine ecosystem,” says a spokesperson for the port. “In our region, the Atlantic salmon is an endangered species, and we partner with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans annually as they count the salmon passing through our harbour. We also partner with the Atlantic Coastal Action Program on many research endeavours and environmental initiatives.” Meanwhile, the Port of Cartagena in Spain is pursuing a sustainability strategy Port Montreal’s Grand Quai Photo: Kevin Light Rope recycling in Port Saint John, Canada Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth during an inaugural call at Greater Victoria Harbour