The cruise is having fun, we are flowing
The ECAN (European Cruise Activist Network) collective and Extinction Rebellion launch this spring a pursuit cruise from Marseille against Azamara Quest, which offers a luxury cruise of 35 days in Europe. The aim of these actions are to denounce the cruise industry, over-tourism and greenhouse gas emissions from the richest, to the detriment of environmental issues.
Thus, the activists embark on the pursuit of this boat, it is Marseille who opens the ball!
Early Friday, May 24, the ship was “welcomed” by the Stop Croisières collective with a lot of mists horns. The cruise lines came down from their cabins and were able to see the messages carried by the boats of the activists.
Luxury cruises, symbol of a wealthy minority disconnected
It is in unbridled luxury and total irresponsibility that Azamara Quest sails on all seas. This boat visits to the north and southern poles, inviting its travelers to observe the melting of the ice and the disappearance of the ice floe to which it contributes …
For the cruise around Europe, he will make a trip of approximately 4000 sea miles, and will issue 1940 tonnes of CO21, 1 only for fuel consumption. This represents 3 tonnes of CO2 per cruise maker for a single trip, while we should not exceed 2 tonnes per person and per year to respect the Paris agreements by 2050. And without counting the goods consumed on board and The fact that the majority of cruise passengers go back and forth by plane.
Disconnected from ecological issues and the reality of climate change, the richest 10% are responsible for a quarter of France’s emissions. As for 1% of the richest worldwide (77 million people), they represent 16% of global emissions linked to consumption in 20192. The richest are those that pollute the most and who undergo the least harsh consequences of change climate.
Unbearable greenwashing
In addition to its climate impact, this boat pollutes the sea and the air, by escaping social and environmental legislation.
Like many other ships, the company operating Azamara Quest has chosen to equip it with scrubber: in order to comply with current regulations on air pollution while continuing to use little refined sea fuel oil and low Cost, it uses these “smoke washers” which make it possible to transfer air pollution directly into the sea by rejecting very acidic waters and loaded with heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HAP). Far from the splendor and greening displayed to attract customers, this invisible pollution constitutes a serious damage to marine biodiversity3.
In addition, scrubber only limits the concentration of suffering dioxides and not fine particles and other pollutants which are in the breathable part of the air: with or unknown, the concentrations of inhabitable particles are practically identical4.
In addition, although the company that operates the ship is American, it is registered with Malta, one of the four main pavilions of complacency allowing shipowners to escape the legislation on labor, tax, controls environmental.
Our claims
Also, Stop Croisières Marseille, the ECAN collective and Extinction Rebellion denounce this deadly tourism and ask:
- The radical reduction in the activity of cruising ships in Europe, then leads to their disappearance.
- Immediate cessation of port expansions and the decrease in port infrastructure for the cruise sector.
- An honest communication on false solutions such as LNG, scrubbers or diet at the quay, since none of these current and future technologies will prevent a ship from polluting.
- The expansion and the maintenance of common efforts by governments and industrialists throughout Europe to make these claims a reality and take into account the North-South world inequalities.
To Marseille
We ask for a citizen consultation concerning the luxury cruise terminal project on the Esplanade du J4. The project consists of a 1000 m2 building and a maximum height of 11m with the aim of accommodating 100 stops per year.
Indeed, given the very numerous implications of these boats on the environment, our living environment, our health, we believe that it is high time to start limiting this activity rather than encouraging its growth. In addition, this planning on a public space for the leisure activities of an ultra-worked minority is to be questioned.
1. According to Thetis MRV database, this boat emits 486 kg of CO2/Miles
2. oxfam: the richest 1 % emit as many CO2 as two thirds of humanity,
3. “Assessment of possible impacts of scrubber water discills on the marine environment”. Accessed: December 2, 2023. [Online]. Available on: https://www2.mst.dk/udgiv/publications/2012/06/978-87-92903-30-3.pdf
4. Ralf Zimmermann, director of research at Rostock University
5. https://mesinfos.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/marseille-rccl-et-alfonso-femia-vont-realis