The Cruise Ship Debate

Cruise Ships: Opportunities or Obstacles?

The cruise ships are back in Santa Barbara; how do these affect the ocean, sea life and our economy?

Astop in Santa Barbara is a must for those who love to cruise, and with COVID-19 levels declining, people are traveling again, and cruises are one form of traveling that is making a comeback.

Santa Barbara is a popular travel destination that allows tourists to visit the city for the day and then move on to their next destination.

The Santa Barbara Harbor has plans to welcome 15 cruise ship visits this spring from mid-March through May.

Local businesses are realizing the economic benefits of the return of cruise ship passengers who shop, eat, book hotels and experience Santa Barbara.

“The Cruise Ship Program launched in 2002. Since that time, Santa Barbara has hosted nearly 200 cruise ship calls, with 20 to 30 cruise ship visits per year, and sizes ranging from 200 passengers to 3,500 passengers,” said Noozhawk reporter Joshua Molina.

According to Santa Barbara Channel Keeper, “Every day, a typical cruise ship generates 30,000 gallons of sewage, 250,000 gallons of greywater (wastewater from galleys, showers, sinks, and laundry), 5,000 gallons of oily bilge water, 15 gallons of toxic chemicals, and seven tons of solid waste, as well as air pollution equal to that of 12,000 cars.”

These harmful chemicals and massive pieces of machinery pose a real threat to marine animals, including whales and dolphins.

“With the increase of cargo and cruise boat traffic over several decades, ships have become one of the deadliest threats whales face in open oceans and coastal waters,” writes Susanne Rust, LA Times. “Between 2016 and 2020, at least 112 beached or dead whales were identified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as having “injuries consistent with ship strikes,” according to an informal NOAA database of whale deaths.”

Conversely, according to Carson Shevitz ‘18, manager of Channel Watch Marine, Inc., “Any impact that a cruise ship could cause to whales is going to be negligible. The large ship traffic is already occurring with very rare issues.

There are already programs in

WORDS by ANNIKA FIRLIK PHOTO by JACKSON BALTES

the area which reward ships for reducing their speed while in the shipping channel to prevent fatal injuries to whales if a collision was to occur.”

According to the Friends of the Earth report on cruise ships, “Out of 18 cruise lines evaluated, 10 of them have F grades and 5 have D grades,” which means that these ships do not follow proper protocol for the safety and health of the environment.

The fact that over half of the ships evaluated received such poor grades proves the harm caused by these ships being in the harbor.

While cruise ships can pose a threat to the environment, there are pros to Santa Barbara’s being a cruise-ship destination.

“Think about it this way; these ships can sometimes bring upwards of 3,000 people into our town. What would we rather have, 3,000 cars driving from the place of origin all the way here to be a tourist or one cruise ship?,” Shevitz said. ”I am not an environmental expert but I think I’d rather see these people carpooling on a cruise ship if you will.”