Environmental activists blockaded the cruise ship port in the southern French city of Marseille on Saturday to protest the sea, air and climate pollution created by the huge ships.
About 20 members of Marseille-based Extinction Rebellion and Stop Croisieres (Stop Cruises) formed a chain of canoes in the water along the entrance to France’s top cruise port, an AFP correspondent said.
The protest forced a ferry to turn back at 7:00 am. and tie further down the coast. Others had to stand by outside the harbor until about 9:30 am.
The port has since reopened, maritime authorities told AFP, adding that cruise ships have docked.
“Nothing justifies the maintenance of these absurd, energy-intensive and toxic floating cities,” Stop Croisieres said on its website.
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“Our air, our seas and our health are non-negotiable,” he said.
He criticized the harmful heavy fuel oil used by ships, the destruction of ocean wildlife and coastal animals, the impact of ships on the climate and the poor working conditions of shipboard workers.
The protest prevented the German-owned Aidastella, which can carry around 2,000 people, from docking around 7:00 am.
Costa Smeralda and MSC World Europa also had to wait before entering the French port.
MSC World Europa is the sixth largest cruise ship in the world. It can carry 6,000 passengers and has more than 2,600 cabins, as well as 13 restaurants and a shopping mall.
Pollution
Marseille is the center of a growing cruise ship industry in France.
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Between 2022 and 2023, the number of cruise passengers entering the port jumped from 1.5 million to 2.5 million, according to the Marseille Tourism Observatory.
Proponents of cruise ships argue that they provide revenue for stopover ports.
Critics say the ships encourage passengers to spend their money on board, not ashore, and that the industry promotes competition between ports of call to drive down prices.
There were protests in several European port cities against the damage caused by the cruise ships, including Venice and Amsterdam, which banned them from docking in the city center.
Stop Croisieres was created during the Covid pandemic.
“We saw videos of nature being restored across France, little birds in cities and other bucolic scenes.
“However, in some areas of Marseille, the air was even more polluted than before the pandemic because all the cruise ships were forced to remain in port with their engines running,” said Andrea, who declined to give her last name for fear of prosecution.
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In March 2023, Marseille residents’ associations filed a legal complaint over pollution from ocean traffic in the port area, which regularly exceeded European Union limits.
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 carbon dioxide — the equivalent of 50,000 flights from Paris to New York.
Source: AFP