problems and solutions

Fair Sailing advocates the “locals first” approach to cruise tourism that prioritizes the interests of residents, local businesses and the environment of Victoria, Canada’s busiest cruise ship port-of-call.

Fair Sailing is focused on harmful cruise industry practices that impact the portside residential neighbourhood, the Victoria region, and our air and ocean environment: Overtourism, Air & Ocean Pollution, Cruise Garbage.

Fair Sailing believes it’s time to ‘rethink cruise tourism’ in Victoria. We have an opportunity for transformative change of cruise travel from a low-value, mass-tourism approach to a sustainable and responsible tourism model for Victoria.

what does fair sailing propose?

Fair Sailing focuses on four priority areas of Overtourism, Air Pollution, Ocean Pollution, and Foreign Garbage. We outline current negative impacts and actions needed below.

priority area: actions needed:

Overtourism

Includes overcrowding, traffic congestion/surges, and noise

Air Pollution

Cruise ships running engines 24/7 contribute greenhouse gases and disperses emissions of sulphur dioxide, particulate matter, NOx and volatile organic compounds

Ocean Pollution

Cruise ships generate large amounts of ocean pollution from scrubbers, which are devices installed to remove exhaust gases such as sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide, as well as particulates, from the heavy bunker fuel that has traditionally been used as marine fuel

Foreign Garbage

Comprises solid and liquid wastes offloaded in Victoria from cruise ships, and transported to our local landfill and out of region/off-island

 

Do No Harm

  • Set ship and passenger limits

  • Schedule staggered arrivals & departures

  • Use smaller electric shuttle buses

  • Implement quiet hours/cruise free days

Stop Polluting the Air

  • Install shore power – without taxpayer subsidies

  • Mandate use of shore power or pay mandatory fee if not used

  • Use only lowest sulphur marine gas oil

Stop Polluting the Ocean

  • Ban scrubber wash water discharges at Ogden Point and in the Port of Victoria immediately

  • Ban use of scrubbers in Canadian waters

  • Use lowest sulphur fuels possible to reduce pollutants

No More Foreign Garbage

  • cease all landing of foreign cruise ship waste materials in Victoria

  • return all solid and liquid waste, including garbage, recyclables, organics, and hazardous materials to port-of-origin

  • Until foreign waste ceases to be landed, full public disclosure of all waste materials offloaded, and their end destinations