The issue of biofouling is becoming a more frequent sight since its sudden appearance in December. Most recently, Cunard Line’s cruise ship QUEEN ELIZABETH became the fourth ship in less than a month to be denied entry and directed to clean its hull before entering New Zealand.
The Cruise ship was denied entry into Milford Sound; Fiordland National Park, and the port of Dunedin on the South Island due to these areas being highly sensitive to potential biohazards. These port calls, with their associated scenic routes, are widely considered to be the central attractions of the cruise.
The ship was given temporary and restricted access to the commercial ports of New Zealand and was instructed to have its hull cleaned by approved vendors. The hull cleaning took 48 hours and the Cruise’s January 7 scheduled sailing was delayed.
New Zealand is monitoring for organisms such as mussels, foliose, oysters, algae, hydroids, sponges, tunicates, crabs, and starfish which can attach to the hull and pose a high risk to the local ecosystem. New Zealand’s strict rules require that these organisms not be introduced into their protected delicate ecosystems. Biosecurity New Zealand reports that more than 90% of marine pests enter the area on the hulls of ships.
The opinions expressed herein are the author’s and not necessarily those of News2Sea.
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