Italy has banned cruise ships from entering the Venice Lagoon, which seems to be a decisive move welcomed by anti-cruise activists.
“We seem to be finally there,” said Tommaso Cacciari, the leader of No Grandi Navi (No Big Ships), a militant group that has been protesting these ships for more than a decade.
Act quickly after being stimulated UNESCO threat In order to include Venice on the endangered list, unless Italy permanently bans cruise ships from docking at this world heritage site, the government said on Tuesday that from August 1st, ships weighing more than 25,000 tons will be banned from entering the lagoon.
Cruise companies will have to cancel Venice from their itinerary until the Marghera industrial port is re-used for passenger use. The government has appointed a commissioner to expedite this work, which usually takes about six months. At the same time, at the end of June, a tender for the construction of a wharf with ships of more than 40,000 tons was announced.
The 25,000-ton limit means that only small passenger ships and cargo ships can use the Giudecca Canal to enter the historic center of Venice.
According to a statement from the office of Prime Minister Mario Draghi, workers and companies affected by these changes will be compensated.
The statement said: “The decree passed today is an important step in protecting the Venice Lagoon.”
In early June, even though the government announced a ban on ships from entering the city in April, there was still a cruise ship entering the city, and activists were shocked.
At the same time, Si Grandi Navi staged a counter-protest. The movement supported thousands of people whose livelihoods depended on the cruise industry. They have been unemployed since the pandemic hit last spring.
The International Cruise Line Association (CLIA) stated: “The cruise industry has supported a new approach for many years, so this is an important step forward. In addition, the government’s decision to appoint a special commissioner to speed up the process is a welcome development. We now look forward to making progress in providing alternative docking arrangements in time for the 2022 season.”
