The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ACTIVISTS had harsh words about Carnival’s illegal dumping in Bahamian waters, calling for the cruise line to be heavily fined.

Phoebe Shaw, campaign director of “Stop Disney – Last Chance for Lighthouse Point”, said the latest news of Carnival Cruise Line’s dumping highlights the concerns activists have about cruise ships in general, namely their carbon emissions and ocean contamination.

For her part, Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, executive director of the Bahamas Reef Environment and Educational Foundation (BREEF), said the dumping was “not acceptable” and the organisation hopes the cruise line’s actions will not be tolerated.

Ms McKinney-Lambert added: “This jeopardizes the health of our marine environment which is absolutely essential to our fishing industry and our tourism industry and our way of life in The Bahamas.”

A monitor appointed by a south Florida federal court recently disclosed Carnival’s further environmental infractions – some of which occurred while vessels were in port in Nassau and Freeport – that took place in 2019.

The monitor’s latest report, filed on New Year’s Eve, detailed incidents, including the March 6, 2019 discharge of 34 cubic metres of black water/sewage in Bahamian waters from the MS Maasdam as it sailed from Half Moon Cay, the private island, to Fort Lauderdale. Also cited was a September 9, 2019, episode involving the Carnival Sunrise where “a considerable amount of rust” was discharged into Nassau harbour after a technician started up an “infrequently used water pump” while the vessel was docked at Prince George Wharf.

The Environmental Planning and Protection Act allows fines for up to $30 million and imprisonment of no more than ten years as punishment for environmental offenders. When asked what penalty was an appropriate punishment for the company, Ms McKinney-Lambert replied “we should use all measures that we have,” adding Carnival’s fine should be in the “tens of millions of dollars”.

On Tuesday, Attorney General Carl Bethel said the government will seek compensation against Carnival under recently passed environment laws.