Ocean pollution?
How do cruise ships impact the health of our oceans?
Cruise ships, as floating resorts, create large amounts of pollution in the form of blackwater (sewage), grey water (from sinks, showers, laundry), incinerator ash, oily bilge water, ballast water, and scrubber wash. The presence of large ships also affects marine life, for example: creating noise that affects whale communication, pollution that impacts marine animal food sources, and ship-strikes of whales.
Do cruise ships use Canada as a “toilet bowl for polluted waste”?
According to a July 2022 Guardian investigation:
“More than 31bn litres (8.5bn US gallons) a year of pollution is estimated to be discharged off the west coast of Canada by cruise ships on their way to and from Alaska, according to a report by the environmental organisations Stand.earth and West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL).
“Across Canada’s 151,019 mile (243,042km) coastline, ships generate 147bn litres of harmful waste each year, equivalent to 59,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to a March 2022 report by WWF-Canada. Based on data from more than 5,000 vessels, the report found cruise ships were the largest polluters, despite making up only 2% of the marine traffic analysed.
“Cruise ship pollution includes large volumes of toxic sewage from toilets, greywater from sinks, showers and laundries, and bilge water – the oily liquid that collects at the lowest part of a ship. By far the largest source of pollution identified in the WWF report was from so-called scrubbers – devices installed to remove exhaust gases such as sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide, as well as particulates, from the heavy bunker oil used as marine fuel. The scrubbers create an acidic wastewater containing a cocktail of chemicals.”
Has Ocean Pollution increased in the past decade?
It appears so. Unfortunately, well-intentioned regulations may have had the effect of turning air pollution into ocean pollution. Regulations by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the North American Emissions Control Area (ECA) have attempted to reduce air pollution by mandating a switch to lower sulphur emissions (to 0.5% and 0.1% respectively). The intent was to have ships switch to using lower sulphur marine gas oil, although the use of scrubbers is allowed.
Many ships continue to use heavy oil fuel which is about half the price of low sulphur fuel. The ships are able to do so by installing exhaust gas cleaning systems (commonly known as scrubbers).
How do Scrubbers work?
Scrubbing is a process that uses seawater or freshwater to remove sulphur and other contaminants from the exhaust when heavy oil fuel is used - thus reducing emissions released into the air to comply with IMO and ECA regulations. The problem is, the wash water from scrubber use can be toxic to marine life, and is often released straight into the marine environment, both on the open ocean and in ports. Scrubber wash water discharges contain pollutants such as metals, hydrocarbons and acids. The use of scrubbers effectively turns air pollution into ocean pollution.
Do scrubbers eliminate air pollution?
No. They are effective at reducing sulphur emissions, but do not eliminate air pollution. Researchers at the International Council for Clean Transportation found that “even with scrubbers, ships will continue to emit air and climate pollution emissions such as particulate matter, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, black carbon and carbon dioxide.”
Do scrubbers increase ocean pollution?
It appears so. Contaminants in scrubber discharge wash water include metals, hydrocarbons, sulfurous and nitrous acids, and turbidity that can contribute to long-term contaminant loading to the marine environment, especially in ecologically vulnerable and sensitive areas such as coastal waters, semi enclosed seas and ports and harbours.
How much scrubber wash water and pollutants are discharged on Canada’s Pacific Coast?
Environment Canada and Climate Change calculates that in 2022, ships equipped with scrubbers discharged over 88 million tonnes of wash water on Canada’s Pacific Coast. Cruise ships accounted for nearly 46% of the total wash water discharged in 2022. Scrubber wash water contained 226 kg of PAHphe, and nearly 26,000 kg of metals in 2022.
Read the report from Environment Canada about the impact of scrubbers in our waters.
How much scrubber wash water is discharged in Canada’s endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale habitat?
The Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) is listed as endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. SRKW critical habitat, which is essential to their survival and recovery, is located between the Southern Salish Sea, Juan de Fuca Strait and southwestern Vancouver Island.
ECCC estimates that over 26 million tonnes of scrubber wash water was discharged into SRKW critical habitat in 2022, including 69 kg of PAHphe and over 8,000 kg of metals. Cruise ships accounted for 44% of the wash water discharge and 40% of the PAHphe and 44% of the metals in this habitat.
Read the report from Environment Canada about the impact of scrubbers in our waters.
How have other countries reacted to the use of scrubbers?
Many governments and ports around the world have restricted or banned the use of scrubbers, including California, Norway, China, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Sweden, Malaysia, Dublin, Seattle.
Pacific Environment recently published a report which lays out the case for why the International Marine Organization should immediately ban scrubber discharges. For more information, please see Poison-in-the-water.pdf
What about Canada?
In Canada, five of Canada’s seventeen federal port authorities, have restricted scrubber use in their ports, including Vancouver and Prince Rupert.
From November 2024 to January 2025, Transport Canada conducted consultation on vessels using scrubber systems in Canadian waters. The results have not yet been released.
Environment and Climate Change Canada conducts ongoing research and investigations on scrubber use in Canada. In 2023-24, fourteen of the inspections conducted in the Pacific and Yukon Region were directly related to cruise ship discharges, including scrubber wash water. No further information on the outcome of these investigations is currently available as the matter is ongoing.
How has Canada addressed other marine pollution from cruise ships?
In 2023, Canada issued an Interim Order Respecting the Discharge of Sewage and the Release of Greywater by Cruise Ships in Canadian Waters. The measures state that sewage and greywater cannot be discharged within 3 nautical miles of shore and that any sewage or greywater discharged between 3 and 12 nautical miles from shore should not leave a sheen or residue on the surface. Unfortunately, the Order lacks any prohibition of scrubber wash water discharges by cruise ships in Canadian waters. The Order expires in June 2025.