Climate Liberation Aotearoa was out on the water near Aramoana at 5:15am this Sunday morning to oppose two cruise ships coming into port. A flotilla of kayakers and paddleboarders were assembled along the harbour mouth drawing attention to the environmental devastation caused by the cruise industry.

Protesters hung a bright banner from wooden posts near the shoreline that read: “Wake Up. Climate Emergency.” Passengers received a wake-up call, as protesters called out to them over a megaphone reminding them that we are in a climate emergency and that ignoring this issue is no longer possible. “It is important passengers take notice. Continuing to support this environmentally irresponsible industry is like pouring gasoline onto a house fire. It’s time to smell the smoke and to get up and get out.” said spokesperson Jen Olsen.

The two cruise ships docking in Port Otago’s harbour were the Silver Muse and the Carnival Splendor, both large cruise ships with more than 1000 passengers. Carnival Splendor is owned and operated by the Carnival Corporation whose climate record is overwhelmingly devastating. Friends of the Earth gave Carnival Cruises an F for their environmental impact - the lowest score of the 21 major cruise lines investigated (https://foe.org/cruise-lines/carnival-cruise-lines/ ). Carbon emissions from this cruise line’s operation in Europe alone totalled at 2.55m tonnes. This is more than the total emissions of the city of Glasgow. ( https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/25/carnival-cruise-line-emitted-more-co2-in-2023-than-scotlands-biggest-city-report )

Carnival Splendor’s next scheduled stop is in Fiordland. Fiordland is one of the most precious natural environments New Zealand has to offer. It is the only fiord accessible by road and one of the largest National Parks spanning 12,607 sq km. It is home to 300 species found nowhere else in the world. Cruise ships threaten these natural environments with air and water pollution and pose a further biosecurity risk due to hull fouling, the sediment that is picked up on the hull of the ship. “Cruise ship passengers often come to New Zealand with the primary intention of seeing these beautiful landscapes, yet they show no care or consideration for the damage they are doing to them. We all agree that these environments are something worth preserving and yet we aren’t doing anything to protect them.” said spokesperson.

The protest is part of an ongoing campaign to challenge the entitlement of the cruise ship industry that favours luxurious holidays over the preservation of our world and our future. Climate Liberation Aotearoa is calling for cruise ships to be banned from sensitive natural environments like Fiordland so that we can preserve our natural wonders for generations to come.

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