As this week’s Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting opens in Rovaniemi, Finland, the Clean Arctic Alliance has released a manifesto urging Iceland, which takes over the chairmanship of the Arctic Council, to demonstrate global leadership with respect to threats facing the Arctic region.
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This summer cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers will sail in Arctic waters and in other vulnerable regions, far from search and rescue facilities, lamented Sian Prior, an advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance campaign.
The Viking Sky incident carried a “strong risk of an oil spill” after it was reported to be carrying heavy fuel oil (HFO) on board, the Clean Arctic Alliance warned.
An incident like the Viking Sky in the Arctic could create a strong risk of an oil spill, which would be devastating for the environment and local communities.
The Viking Sky was reported to be carrying 343 tonnes of HFO on board, along with 465 tonnes of diesel. This summer, similar cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers will sail in Arctic waters and in other vulnerable regions, far from search and rescue facilities, including helicopters and tugs.
As the Solomon Trader disaster shows, nowhere is safe from oil spills, write Dr Sian Prior, Eelco Leemans and Dave Walsh from the Clean Arctic Alliance.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez disaster, the Clean Arctic Alliance comments on recent devastation from HFO spills in Solomon Islands and the Bay of Biscay.
In the interest of transparency, Carnival should release its fuel logs “to show the world it has been, and will continue to be, a leader in getting heavy fuel oil out of this fragile Arctic ecosystem,”
The cruise industry should shine as maritime’s beacon for robust environmental stewardship, given its visibility, growth and plentiful coffers, ecologists say.