Cruise ship traffic in Hawaiian waters is expanding at a rapid rate. Alarmingly, cruise ships are being allowed to operate without regulations necessary to protect our oceans. Each cruise ship carries an average of 3,000 people and produces as much sewage and waste as a mid-sized city. Tons of raw sewage, garbage and even hazardous waste are produced and disposed of each day by a single ship. This constant discharge of waste into our oceans is multiplied by dozens of ships operating every day in our precious oceans.Cruise ships do not have to comply with environmental and water quality protection laws that are required for municipalities. They are allowed to dump sewage and garbage directly into our oceans—and they do! Incredibly, the most common practice of cruise ships is to dump waste at sea, usually at night. While they are not supposed to release raw sewage or other solid waste into state waters (3 nautical miles from shore), ocean currents can return discharged sewage, polluted waters and garbage to our shores. Fish do not know boundaries. Cruise liners also impact air quality. Diesel engines spew out diesel exhaust equivalent to 10,000 cars each day per ship and are kept idling, even when in port.  Hawai‘i’s precious marine ecosystems, including important fishing grounds, coral reefs, beaches, and surf sites are being impacted by this expanding and unregulated industry.The cruise industry has a history of breaking the law and has accumulated scores of federal pollution violations. The industry is regularly fined millions of dollars for illegally dumping raw sewage, garbage, and oily bilge water into state waters. They have falsified reports, disconnected pollution control technology and in some instances they have lied to inspectors. The cumulative or combined impacts of the rapidly increasing number of cruise ships releasing effluent, garbage, and diesel exhaust into our air and waters is a very serious problem that must be addressed. KAHEA is working with other organizations and with concerned citizens to secure adequate regulations to minimize the impacts from cruise ship pollution. 
 Check Out the Rally in Australia against a Cruise Ship terminal in an important surf spot. To learn more visit the Surfrider Foundation and the Blue Water Network. |
KAHEA is an alliance of Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) cultural practitioners, environmental activists and others concerned with protecting customary and traditional rights and our fragile environment.
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