Cruise ships in Venice, the Yes Faction

Venice - Put to one side the numerous committees and big names that have come out against the giants of the seas - from Cate Blanchett to Calvin Klein, not to mention Michael Douglas, Jane Fonda, the Nobel prize-winner Vidia Naipaul and even Aga Khan, who few suspected of having an ecological side. Traders and port operators yesterday made another offensive to rouse the government and ask for a definitive solution to the question of “big ships” in Venice. Of course no one wants to see them sailing through the Grand Canal, taller than the bell tower of San Marco, but the entrepreneurs are asking Italy’s Prime Minister to “find a solution” so that “an equilibrium will be possible.” An example of a solution is the Port Authority’s proposal of an entry and exit route from the city through the Contorta-S.Angelo Canal, which in practice means that the ships pass through the mouth of the Malamocco channel (at the south end of the Laguna) and return sailing along the coast of Marghera as far as the cruise ship terminal, which is located in the westernmost part of Venice. However, the work will take 19 months and cost 146 million and will include excavations, recalibration, and morphological recovery and underground utilities – as per the data provided by the Port Authority itself. Then there is the De Piccoli-Duferco option, which would have the ships arrive at the mouth of the Venice Lido and then transfer their passengers to Venice with small ferries.

The government has drawn up plans, but has yet to make a decision. The companies say that they could make a contribution to pay for the Contorta but plans remain vague, the Regional Administrative Court (to which the Venice Passenger Terminal appealed) has suspended all decisions until it hears what the other courts decide. In all of this, the notorious Clini-Passera decree comes into play, which word for word, expels the mega-ships from Venice “once an alternative route has been established” (imposing a limit of 40,000 gross tonnage). Since this route has not yet been established, next year the shipping companies will give another “sign of goodwill” to in an attempt to escape from any decision by the government and the Harbour Master’s Office, which in 2014 cut the number of ships present in Venice by 12.5%: no unit over 96,000 tonnes, as prescribed by the Harbour Master’s ordinance which was later suspended by the Regional Administrative Court.

Basically, operators have no choice but to exert pressure, this time supported by the Confcommercio Association at the national level (which includes shipping agents and shipowners’ representatives), by Federagenti and by the port association Assoporti. In fact, this issue, as Federagenti’s leader Michele Pappalardo pointed out, is anything but local. No cruise ship in the Adriatic can do without Venice, except for a few very specialized high-end itineraries. Smaller ships in the Laguna means smaller ships in at least ten other ports. Out of a €510 million revenue business, €210 million are at risk - as the handbook presented yesterday in Rome states. 17% of Italy’s passengers embark and disembark in Venice, with changes of passengers and resupplying for the ships. 50% of cruise passengers spend at least one night in a hotel, which increases the revenues of associated industries in the region. Finally, the shipping agents pointed out, “Venice cannot resign itself to the role of museum:” the city is experiencing totally unmanaged tourism (about 30 million per year), while the cruise ship passengers are effectively the only element that can be planned (about 1.8 million per year). Yesterday Confcommercio, Assoporti and Federagenti signed a “non-contradiction” pact, clearly with the expectation that someone will find a solution.

THE HANDBOOK

How to save the Venice Laguna and maintain it as an important base for cruise ship traffic in ten points. These are the ten proposals to come out of “Venice and Cruise Ships, A Possible Equilibrium” conference organized by Federagenti with the support of Confcommercio.

1)“For more than a thousand years, it was a port city. Venice and the Laguna are a marvellous and completely artificial ensemble.” Man has taken intervened repeatedly since 1300 to save its “walls” and its “functioning port.”

2)“Venice cannot resign itself to the role of museum:” the city is experiencing totally unmanaged tourism (about 30 million per year), while effectively cruise ship passengers are the only element that can be planned (about 1.8 million per year).

3)“On the Adriatic the risk of desertification is imminent:” Italy attracts 50% of Mediterranean home porting (Civitavecchia-Venice) and if Venice closes for business, at least ten ports will collapse. There will be a reduced revenue of €210 million from a possible total of €510 million.

4)“There are no safety risks” thanks to more stringent safety rules and limited speeds. There is no risk of damage, should a ship run aground, because of the muddy consistency of the channel’s seabed.

5)“The large ships produce less waves:” the major navigation canals are used by thousands of vessels (public and private) and the highest waves are caused by small boats.

6)“The Venetians are not against the large ships:” For 70% of Venetians, cruise ships are an opportunity, and for almost 60%, the economic damage would be considerable.

7)“Being the home port for cruise ships brings economic benefits to the city:” here the passengers embark and disembark (17% of Italy’s total) and here the ships resupply and exchange passengers.

8)“Being a home port causes no harm to Venice,” it’s the port that best represents the expression of here-today-gone-tomorrow tourism as a transit port. The home port is integrated with the city and its accommodations (50% of the cruise passengers spend at least one night in a hotel in a home port).

9)“Green ships in Green ports:” the ships account for a marginal percentage of air pollution in the Laguna and we need to reward and privilege green ships.

10) “There is no contradiction between the defence of Venice and the presence of large ships:” there is a solution capable of marrying the city’s economy with its proper protection.