CQD - Journal for the Maritime Environment Industry Volume 4, #3 - July 1998, Copyright 1995 Edward M. Miller Associates, Inc.

Pollution Prevention from Nautical Tourism:

International Programs Outlined in Mexico

Professional Groups in Mexico and the BVI

British Virgin Islands - Secure Moorings

The Code of Conduct for Small Ships

FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Clients and Friends;

This month's journal steps away from the commercial shipping industry and discusses a smaller cousin, Nautical Tourism.

Marina or nautical tourism industries are sub-categories of the maritime industry.  For discussion purposes, nautical tourism industries are those businesses primarily serving smaller vessels under 75 meters and the infrastructure businesses that surround such boats.

The value in delineating marina from maritime is to illustrate the success marina pollution prevention programs are experiencing.  The nautical tourism industry is coming together to combat problems that the commercial shipping industry faces on a larger scale.  Their problems include the same serious shipping concerns such as handling trash on-board, stopping overboard dumping of sewage, fuel spills, and vessel maintenance.

"Education" and "simplicity" are the keys to the success of the nautical tourism pollution prevention programs.  The marina industry, the small cousins of the huge shipping world, are successfully making "Clean Values for Clear Waters" everyday habits.  They are recognizing their businesses depend upon a clean, non-polluted marine environment.

These are not regulatory programs.  They are stories of non-point source polluters policing themselves.  Through education, users are adapting sound marine environmental practices.  Some of these practices are easy, some involve additional effort.  All are simple common sense exercises that may provide valuable lessons to the entire marine industry.

Chris Swanson
Environmental Affairs

Buzzword Bingo

Nowhere do buzzwords flourish more than in the environmental trade. Environmental Management Paradigms, 3 P's, Sustainability, Sustainable Development are a few of the amazingly popular terms.  It must be mandatory that any government pamphlet include a "plethora" of them.

What about the ideals behind these buzzwords;  are they really possible?  Can environmental values and business values mix?  Perhaps all this is merely more rhetoric by bureaucrats and idealists who cannot understand the working world?

Well, in the maritime industry the marine trades community is proving pro-environment makes good business sense.  Marina facilities, recreational boat users and the concerns of nautical tourism are involved, among others.  Throughout the world, such business groups are coming together in an effort towards improving the marine environment.  Their endeavors are flourishing because they make sense and will improve their businesses.

International programs outlined in Mexico

One area in the midst of a ten year program towards improving environmental quality is the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR).  Because of its strong influence, nautical tourism is the target.  Last April, a workshop in Cozumel, Mexico brought together specialists from government, universities, marine trade groups and industry to discuss pollution prevention strategies and policies.

The workshop highlighted a number of successful programs from areas such as Mexico, the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Trinidad & Tobago, Columbia and many more.  Presenters spoke about programs organized by businesspersons and professionals illustrating the benefits of business and community coordination.

Professional Groups in Mexico and the BVI

Planeta Limpio based in Cancun, Mexico spoke about the problems of garbage on the beaches due to insufficient solid waste facilities.  Recognizing that the larger hotels ran private solid waste facilities, they approached them for help.  Planeta Limpio convinced the large hotels to assist smaller hotels and restaurants to use their waste facilities.  The value to the larger hotels - cleaner beaches at a fraction of the cost they were spending on individual trash collection programs.  The hotel chains recognize cleaner beaches mean happier tourists and increased customers.

Planeta Limpio went further to integrate local hotels and restaurants with community programs.  They are training restaurants, small hotels and construction sites to better manage their solid waste.  In addition, the hotels fund a program to encourage local children to collect recyclables.  Money paid for returned recyclables is funded by a fee placed on the hotels and restaurants.

British Virgin Islands - Secure Moorings

Another group creating environmental improvements is in the BVI.  In the late 80's, experts were concerned about severe reef damage in the BVI due to anchor damage from small vessels.  Dive shop owners, recognizing their businesses rely upon pristine reefs, joined together with community groups to find a way to save the ecosystem from continued anchoring.

Their efforts produced Moor Secure a system of moorings imbedded into designated recreation areas in the ocean floor.  Rather than allow yachting and cruising vessels to drag anchors that often break up the fragile reefs, they installed buoys.  Tourists hook up vessels to the moorings instead of dropping anchor.  Simpler and quicker than anchoring, recreational boat users gladly pay the daily use fee collected by BVI's EPA.  These fees go directly back into maintenance and expansion of the mooring system.

The marine businesses know their livelihood depend upon a high quality marine environment.  By working together with community groups, nautical tourist industries are realizing financial benefits due to increased tourism and positive public opinion.

The Code of Conduct for Small Ships

In 1993 the International Maritime Organization (IMO) declared the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR) a Special Area under Annex V of MARPOL 73/78.  In conjunction with this designation, IMO agreed to assist the WCR develop guidelines to assist marinas and small craft.

IMO does not typically involve themselves actively in policies for vessels under 100 ft.  However, they recognized that IMO assistance could foster essential cooperation from the myriad of island nations in the WCR.  IMO and other organizations drafted a comprehensive pollution prevention scheme.  Their efforts resulted in the "Code of Conduct for the prevention of pollution from small ships in marinas and anchorages in the Caribbean region".

The "Code of Conduct" is designed as a series of guidelines for administrators, facilities and users to establish practices that minimize the potential for pollution in the marine environment.  It strongly encourages inter-nation cooperation.  The bulk of its suggestions are common sense practices for the marina industry.  IMO distributes the Code to Environmental Committee members and interested parties.  A significant function of the Cozumel workshop was to discuss the Code.  In addition, there are intentions for another conference in Trinidad (Small Ships, Big Business - late '98) aimed at promoting the Code to governments and administrators.

Introduced to the marina trades for the first time, the Code of Conduct became a heavily discussed topic.  Recognizing its impact and value an "Industry Focus Group" realized a need for an organized marina response to the Code.  The group decided to form a Marinas Association of the Caribbean, with a first priority to review the Code with other marina businesses and recommend an industry response.  This association hopes to hold its first conference in early 1999.

Not everything in the Code pleases the marina group members.  Concern exists over requisite bond or guarantee provisions that could place undue burdens upon small "mom & pop" marinas.  However, in general, the WCR marina industry values and promotes many of the provisions the Code details.  They will be discussing the Code of Conduct in detail in their organization meeting.

Next Issue:  National Clean Boating Campaign

There is an immense amount of information about Nautical Tourism Pollution Prevention programs and practices. A few of these can be found at:

www.marinanet.com

www.imimarina.com

www.image.net.mx/madre tierra (Planeta Limpio)

www.ships-service.com/miller_assoc/html/tips_for_clean_boating.htm

CQD Journal for the Maritime Environment Industry is published by E.M. Miller Associates, Inc., Florham Park, NJ.  www.cqdjournal.com    All rights reserved.  Copyright 1999.

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