The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) have jointly held a workshop on the cruise industry and the Baltic Sea. Organised in the framework of the European Maritime Day, which is being celebrated in Turku, Finland this week, the workshop on "Effective solutions for responsible growth" has given participants a chance to discuss a range of issues regarding the cruise industry's present and future in the Baltic, HELCOM said in its media release.
Moderated by Hermanni Backer, HELCOM, the workshop speakers included Tom Strang, Carnival Corp.; Anna Petersson, Swedish Transport Agency; Kirsti Tarnanen-Sariola, European Sea Ports Organisation; and Pauli Merriman, WWF Ecoregion Programme. Together they have discussed a range of relevant topics, such as the industry's economic impact in the Baltic countries, state-of-the art developments in the cruise industry, and the potential for maritime stakeholders' cooperation for responsible growth.
Together with the audience, the speakers have also discussed some of the challenges that the industry faces, particularly in terms of sustainability and environmental protection, focusing on issues such as ships' air emissions abatement and wastewater treatment and discharges. They provided suggestions to remove bottlenecks for a prosperous future of cruising and a sustainable maritime economy in the Baltic.
Particularly on the topic of wastewater discharges, the International Maritime Organization has recently designated the Baltic Sea as a Special Area under MARPOL Annex IV, banning passenger ships from discharging sewage offshore from 2019/2021. The discussion focused on the practicalities of its implementation, particularly the need to expand and improve the region's network of port reception facilities in order to make sure that cruise ships will be able to discharge their sewage while at berth.
About HELCOM
HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission - Helsinki Commission) is the governing body of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, known as the Helsinki Convention. The Contracting Parties are Denmark, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden. HELCOM was established four decades ago to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental cooperation. HELCOM's vision for the future is a healthy Baltic Sea environment with diverse biological components functioning in balance, resulting in a good ecological status and supporting a wide range of sustainable economic and social activities.
About CLIA
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is the unified voice and leading authority of the global cruise community. As the largest cruise industry trade association with 15 offices globally, CLIA has representation in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australasia. CLIA's mission is to support policies and practices that foster a safe, secure and healthy cruise ship environment for the more than 23 million passengers who cruise annually, as well as to promote the value, desirability and affordability of the cruise vacation experience. Members are comprised of the world's most prestigious ocean, river and specialty cruise lines; a highly trained and certified travel agent community; and cruise line suppliers and partners, including ports & destinations, ship development, suppliers and business services, committed to the sustained success of the cruise industry.