P E T I T I O N Against incompatible ships in Venice Lagoon

To the President of the European Parliament To the Environment Commission of the European Parliament To the Committee on Petitions to the European Parliament To All Political Groups of the European Parliament To UNESCO To the President of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Italy To the Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport To the Italian Minister for the Environment To the Italian Minister of Health To All Political Groups of the Italian Parliament To the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Policy, Co-ordination and Control (established by art.4, law 798/1984), the so-called “Comitatone” To the President of the Water Authority of Venice To the Venice Port Authority To the Venice Coast Guard To the Local Authorities: To the President of the Veneto Region To the President of the Venice Province To the Mayor of Venice To the Mayor of Chioggia To the Mayor of Cavallino-Treporti To the Mayor of Mira To the President of the Municipality of Lido and Pellestrina To the President of the Municipality of Venice, Murano and Burano To All Political Groups represented in the various local authorities P E T I T I O N Against incompatible ships in Venice Lagoon Each LARGE CRUISE SHIP causes atmospheric pollution equivalent to 14,000 cars and threatens the health of the inhabitants of Venice, both now and above all in the future; Due to their abnormal size, LARGE CRUISE SHIPS put the safety of Venice and the survival of its lagoon at risk; LARGE CRUISE SHIPS do not benefit either Venice or its inhabitants: they enrich only those who speculate in a tourism which is unsustainable, which contributes to the decline in population and the impoverishment of services and which is turning this beautiful city into a Disneyland. A Decree issued by the Italian Ministries of Transport and the Environment on 2nd March 2012 banned ships displacing more than 40,000 tons from the Canale di San Marco and the Canale della Giudecca but the application of this ban has been postponed indefinitely, until such a time “when alternative routes to those forbidden are practicable”. W E D E M A N D That alternative solutions be implemented immediately without hypothesising costly and devastating temporary remedies; An immediate ban of ships of more than 40,000 gross tonnage from Venice Lagoon for reasons of safety, public health and defence of the lagoon eco-system; At the same time, that procedures be adopted for the definitive exclusion of ships which authoritative and independent studies show to be incompatible with the well-being of the city; with the recovery of a lagoon already compromised by excessive channels between the lagoon and the sea, and by dredging wide and deep canals within the lagoon; The installation of a network of ARPAV sampling stations to check air quality in the historic centre and the islands; That precautionary measures be taken urgently to protect public health. All ships in the Venice lagoon must be required to use fuel with a sulphur content of less than 0.1%; to exploit advanced technologies to reduce the production and emission of pollutants to a minimum, and to use radar only in fog for ships in movement. Electrical power must be provided on the wharves where cruise ships dock or anchor in Venice Lagoon; That the Mayor of Venice (responsible in law for public health) and the Venetian health service establish an inquiry into the effects of cruise ships on the health of the population of Venice; That an overall ceiling be established for a daily quota of visitors, sustainable for Venice, and also a maximum number be assigned for cruise ships.