Asia/Pacific News
Australia Urged to Wait on Implementing Marine Sulfur Limits
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has urged Australia to hold off on instituting more stringent sulfur limits without waiting for results from a "science-based study," Travel Weekly reports.
"We encourage those officials to take into account operational considerations and the results of a science-based study they have commissioned before taking any unilateral actions locally or nationally," said Bud Darr, senior vice president of technical and regulatory affairs at CLIA.
Concerns over the effects of cruise ships berthed in Australian harbours began escalating mid-last year when residents surrounding the White Bay Cruise Terminal in Sydney began complaining about the toxicity of fumes.
Shore power is currently unavailable at the terminal.
The complaints have since spread to other ports, and have led the regional government in New South Wales (NSW) to promise a 0.10 percent sulfur limit as part of its re-election campaign.
However, Darr said that the sulfur content in marine fuel used in the country has been declining for a number of years, with the average in Australia estimated at 2.5 percent compared to the global International Maritime Organization (IMO) limit of 3.5 percent.
The use of scrubbers, which many companies have adopted to meet stringent sulfur limits in Emission Control Areas (ECA), have also reportedly been questioned by international parties for potentially releasing acidic washwater into delicate marine environments.
Given that such debates are ongoing, the CLIA added that governments should adhere to IMO standards in order to better support new technology.
In the meantime, Australian cruise operators such as Carnival Australia and Cruise Eden have sought to assuage fears.
It was reported earlier this year that both cruise lines have maintained that they are operating within air quality requirements and that they didn't pose any immediate environmental or toxic hazard.
