24 AUG: Cruise ship pollution is in the news again, with Canadian environmentalists claiming that discharge from liners is turning waters off British Columbia into a "toilet bowl".
A lengthy article in The Vancouver Sun newspaper yesterday quotes Friends of the Earth Canada ceo Beatrice Olivastri as saying: "Cruise ship companies are taking advantage of Canada’s weaker laws on sewage discharge to save money.
"It is bizarre that British Columbia residents should bear the burden of cruise ship pollution from well-heeled tourists".
A university professor who’s apparently been monitoring the cruise industry for over 10 years told the paper: "Brtish Columbia is now the toilet bowl of the west coast of North America.
"In Canada there are no regulations on discharging water without further monitoring".
The article carries no comment from cruise lines.
But a spokeswoman for Transport Canada told the paper that the body operates a ship inspection program, which includes checking sewage treatment systems.
