Biosecurity. Biofouling. Dirty hulls.
These are words used by officials and the media regarding the New
Zealand government's decision to interrupt at least eight cruise ships
trying to sail the country's waters this season.
Several of those vessels were forced to change itineraries as the
country ratcheted up enforcement of a hull-cleaning requirement designed
to prevent ships from potentially introducing organisms from other
parts of the world that could disrupt New Zealand's delicate marine
environments.
Biofouling, or biological fouling, is the accumulation of
micro-organisms, plants, algae and animals on submerged structures, such
as hulls, according to the International Maritime Organization. By
hitching a ride on a ship, the organisms can become invasive species in
new environments by reproducing and outcompeting native species.
New Zealand implemented its hull-cleaning rules in 2018, but for its
first two years, authorities focused on education and helping ship
operators meet requirements. Then the pandemic hit. New Zealand was one
of the last destinations to welcome back tourism, only reopening to
cruise ships in July 2022. It is now in its first high season.
Paul Hallett, environmental health manager for Biosecurity New
Zealand, the agency enforcing the regulation, said that while compliance
is still high among vessels overall, lengthy ship layups during the
pandemic, many new personnel at cruise companies and a shortage of
commercial divers to perform the cleanings have led to unacceptable
biofouling on some cruise ship hulls.
"We know that nearly 90% of marine pests arrive in New Zealand on the
submerged surfaces of international vessels," said Hallett. Offending
species may include mussels, oysters, foliose algae, hydroids,
tunicates, sponges, crabs and starfish that stow away on a ship's
underbelly.
While the infractions have made headlines, the vast majority of
cruises in New Zealand have stayed on schedule, according to CLIA
Australasia.
CLIA and the New Zealand Cruise Association said cruise lines are
committed to protecting the country's unique marine environment and are
engaging with Biosecurity New Zealand about biofouling.
"We all want to make sure that these high standards are maintained
now and in [the] future. The fouling discovered by during inspections is
minor, but the requirements for cruise ships are very strict," said
Kevin O'Sullivan, chief executive director of the New Zealand Cruise
Association.
The industry also knows such requirements are only going to grow.
Australia is phasing in its own hull-cleaning requirement through
December.
Eight ships run into biofoul issues
The eight ships that faced
compliance issues meeting New Zealand's biofouling regulations were the
Queen Elizabeth, Azamara Quest, Coral Princess, Viking Orion, Regent's
Seven Seas Explorer, Silversea's Silver Whisper, P&O Australia's
Pacific Explorer and Ponant's Le Laperouse, Hallett said. Some of those
ships were allowed to continue on their itinerary after consulting with
New Zealand officials, while others had to change their itinerary to
visit ports in less sensitive areas.
Cunard Line's Queen Elizabeth had two sailings affected after it was
barred from entering sensitive areas, including Fiordland and the Bay of
Islands. Cunard said it had been trying to get its hull cleaned since
November but struggled with the limited availability of specialist dive
teams and receiving permission from ports to perform the cleanings
there.
The line even faced meteorological difficulties: an attempted
cleaning on 14 January was thwarted by poor weather, Cunard said.
Passengers were offered compensation ranging from onboard credit to
future cruise credits "based on the levels of change and disruption to
the original itinerary."
The biggest disruption was to the 930-passenger Viking Orion, which
reportedly spent about a week at sea during its 22 December Australia
and New Zealand sailing due to biofouling. In a statement, Viking said
the ship had a "limited amount" of standard marine growth that needed to
be cleaned. The publication Marine Executive reported the ship spent
two days about 17 nautical miles off the coast of Adelaide so
professional divers could clean the hull there.
Viking said it offered guests 100% future cruise credits but declined to comment further.
Source: Travel Weekly