EMEA News
Ship Fined in Marseilles Cruise Pollution Case
The master of cruise ship charged with breaking air pollution laws in the French port of Marseilles has been fined EUR 100,000 ($114,000).
The ship, Carnival's Azura, was found to be using bunker of 1.68% sulfur when the limit for ships in European Union (EU) waters is capped at 1.5% sulfur.
The ship loaded the fuel in Barcelona, according to French local news provider The Local.
The EU directive states: "Passenger ships operate mostly in ports or close to coastal areas and their impacts on human health and the environment are significant. In order to improve air quality around ports and coasts, those ships are required to use marine fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 1.50 % until stricter sulphur standards apply to all ships in territorial seas, exclusive economic zones and pollution control zones of Member States."
From the start of 2020, the global sulfur cap falls to 0.5%. In an emissions control area, which apply to the North and Baltic Seas, the sulfur cap bunker fuel is lower at 0.1%. There are moves to make the Mediterranean Sea area an ECA.
