22 October 2024
Cruise ships arriving in New Zealand this season can expect to be met by protesters.
Climate Liberation Aotearoa has met Princess Cruises’ Diamond Princess ship each time it docked at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton and Dunedin.
Last Tuesday, on the first day of Dunedin’s cruise season at Port Chalmers the group gathered to “highlight the issue of luxury emissions during a climate crisis.”
A banner reading: “They Cruise We Lose” was hung from the railway station building.
Protesters also handed out leaflets, held smaller banners and spoke through megaphones. When passengers came back to the boat, members of the group slowly crossed the pedestrian crossing in front of bus loads of passengers, while two people on paddleboards saw the ship off holding a banner from the water.
“It’s unfortunate to cause this very minor disruption to the passengers but we are here to send a clear message that the disruption to the environment and climate caused by these huge floating hotels is unjustifiable,” said Climate Liberation Aotearoa spokesperson Rosie Cruickshank.
The group went to Fiordland the next day October 16, to meet the ship there but it did not arrive.
“Four days travelling on a cruise ship is three to four times more emissions than travelling the same distance by plane. We believe that the passengers on the Diamond Princess care about the future of their children and grandchildren. Now is the time for them to let their cruise ship company know that they want them to care about that future too,” said Cruickshank.
The group has three demands: For councils to mitigate cruise ship emissions by putting them into local carbon budgets. For ratepayers to stop subsiding cruise ships. In Dunedin, 358 extra bus trips are put on to accommodate cruise passengers each day.
“That means eight extra buses funded by the ratepayers for cruise ship passengers who contribute very little to the local economy. While they’ll buy a ticket it’s still local people subsidising this environmentally destructive industry” said Cruickshank.
Dunedin local Bruce Mahalski told Stuff Travel the buses are full and locals can’t use them.
Thirdly, the group wants cruise ships to stop going to Milford Sound, Antarctica and other sensitive natural areas.