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In Marseille, a sea blockade against the “pollution” of cruise ships
On board canoes, members of the Stop Cruises and Extinction Rebellion collective blocked the arrival of cruise ships at the port of Marseille for nearly two hours on Saturday, denouncing the “pollution” caused by these giants of the seas. They were dislodged by the maritime gendarmerie, who confirmed to AFP this blockage “by around ten kayakers” in the early morning, then the reopening of the port around 9 a.m. Three cruise ships and two ferries “were impacted” and had to wait at sea, due to this action, rare in one of the largest ports in France, the port of Marseille told AFP. Around 7 a.m., the ship Aidastella, from the German cruise line Aida, had to turn around, twelve canoes having positioned themselves at the entrance to the northern harbor of Marseille, thus preventing it from entering the port, AFP journalists noted. This ship, with a capacity of around 2,000 people, which was due to stop in France’s second city, waited for around two hours nearby. Two other cruise ships, the MSC World Europa, the world’s sixth largest cruise ship (over 2,600 cabins, 6,000 passengers, 13 restaurants, a shopping centre) and the Costa Smeralda, which were supposed to dock in Marseille on Saturday morning, also had to wait offshore and were finally able to enter the port around 9:30am. On their inflatable kayaks, lined up, the twenty or so activists equipped with life jackets had displayed banners such as “it smells like gas” or “we are very angry with MSC Cruises”. Stop Cruises denounces “the air pollution caused by these ships, real cities on the water”, with a “negative impact on the health of populations and marine biodiversity”, a spokesperson told AFP. The collective also denounces the working conditions on board. The International Association of Cruise Professionals (Clia), in an email to AFP, “firmly” condemned this blockade, described as “illegal and dangerous, by a handful of activists regardless of their opinions”. It added that “maritime transport, of which cruises represent 5% in Marseille, continues its tireless efforts to achieve carbon neutrality in its activities.” – Growing hostility – In 2022, the port of Marseille welcomed 1.5 million cruise passengers and 2.5 million last year, according to the tourism observatory of the city of Marseille. Hostility is growing in Europe against the cruise industry, a source of income for stopover cities but considered harmful to the health of local residents and the environment due to its gigantism. In recent years, Venice and Amsterdam have banned their city centres from the giants of the seas. According to a study by the NGO Transport and Environment, cruise ships sailing in European waters in 2022 emitted more than eight million tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of 50,000 Paris-New York flights. In March 2023, associations and residents of the port of Marseille filed a complaint against X against the impacts of pollution linked to maritime traffic in port facilities, with the atmospheric pollution thresholds authorised by European legislation being regularly exceeded in the urban area. Maritime activities are responsible for 39% of nitrogen dioxide emissions (NOx, an air pollutant) in the Marseille metropolitan area, just behind road traffic (45%), according to AtmoSud, an air quality measurement organisation.cka-mf-cm-iw/rhl
