Cruise vessels are leaving billions of litres of wastewater in their wake despite longtime promises of action by the federal government.
Most water pollution discharged by ships showcasing the beauty of the coast is pumped out by scrubbers — an exhaust-cleaning system that uses seawater to “wash” sulphur dioxide, toxic metals and carcinogens from ship fumes, only to flush them into the ocean.
The devices are widely used by the cruise industry and act as a loophole for shipping companies to continue burning cheaper, dirty, heavy fuel oils while still complying with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2020 sulfur emissions standards, said Anna Barford, oceans campaigner for Stand.earth Canada.
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