Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 12, 1 December 2002 — Luxury cruise ship will permanently damage Molokaʻi submerged lands [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Luxury cruise ship will permanently damage Molokaʻi submerged lands

On Dec. 28, Holland America's luxuiy cruise ship "Statendam" will anchor off VIoloka'i's south shore. Promises of a quick eeonomie boost is dangled like a carrot by officials who hope the people of Molokafi will sacrifice a part of their cultural lifestyle and environment for the new cash eow. Not evaryone is buying the cir-cus-like atmosphere and flashing lights of the cruise ship promoters. VIolokayi is keenly aware of the permanent damage cruise ships cause on reefs, ecosystems and their unique social fabric. Last month, Hui Hoyopakele yĀina ("group to rescue the land"), organized to stop cruise ships from anchoring near VIolokayi. Why? No one bothered to conslult Moloka'i people, yet industiy and county offiacials thihk it's best for us. Let's not squabble over "he saidshe said." Let's take a look at how well the industry has served its neighbors in other ports of eall: ♦ The Statendam will bring 1,260 people to Moloka'i. Visitors will

participate in pre-arranged activities organized by a Honolulu tourist recreational company. ♦ Studies show that cruise ship visitom contribute far less than other types of tourists and the rewards are short term. Cruise ships demand laxed regulations and little resistance from the community and government before any long term promises will be made. ♦ The hotel industiy has shown reluctance to support cruise ships because their visitors spend most of their time and money aboard those floating resorts. ♦ VIost cruise ships conduct gambling on board and will raise the specter of approving shipboard gambling laws in the near future. Perhaps the two most critical issues are the impact that the cruise ships will have on the environment andthe social integrity of the eommunity. ♦ Already, we know that every time a ship the size of the Statendam drops anchor, the anchor ean rip a trench in the surrounding reef approximately 8 feet deep and

60 yards long. ♦ Cruise ship discharges are some of the worstsources of oeean pollution with thousands of gallons of sewage, gray water, toxins, ehemicals and oil spilled into the oeean every year. ♦ The U.S. has only a patchwork of laws that barely govern cruise ship pollution and ship discharges are exempt from federal Clean Water Act perm.it requirements. ♦ The agency responsible for monitoring cruise ships is the U.S. Coast Guard who openly admits it only conducts limited inspections. ♦ The state has no laws dealing with cruise ship pollution, although it did sign a memorandum of agreement with the cruise ship industry whieh does nothing more than ask the industry to self-regulate themselves with no enforcement meehanism. ♦ The County of VIaui, via eounsel member Arakawa, tried to authorize land use rules to streamline cruise ship anchoring in Moloka'i. However, VIaui corporation counsel told them that the

county did not have the authority to enact such land use rules over state agencies . Wome, the U.S. Governmental Accounting Office reports that the Statendam's company and affiliate, Holland America and Carnival Cruises, were guilty and fined over $18 million for dumping sewage effluent, oil and other toxins into the oeean. Oil pollution, sewage, dumping of toxins and garbage occur at such an alarming rate that even the governor of Alaska has pleaded for stricter federal laws . Hawaiians have their near shore fishing grounds and brackish water estuaries to consider. Onee those areas are negatively impacted, Moloka'i will lose its ability to maintain its current culturally active subsistence economy. So why didn't anyone bother to ask the people of VIoloka'i whether they would approve of a cruise ship in their water? Well, because at this point in time, their answer would most like ly be a resounding no! ■

Colette Machado Trustee, Moloka 'i and Lāna 'i