On March 10 the Italian Government announced it had found a solution for the harboring of cruise ships in Venice. The solution, to take the boats via the entrance to the Port of Malamocco, then via the Canale dei Petroli to the Canale Vittorio Emanuele and ultimately to Marittima, came as a surprise as this solution is not part of any of the plans currently under consideration. This plan is being pitched as a solution that does not require the digging of a new canal (as did the preferred solution of Mayor Brugnaro, who wanted to excavate Tresse to reach Marittima) and also takes the boats out of the Bacino of San Marco. What follows are reactions from Comitato NOGrandiNavi and Italia Nostra-Venezia.
Comitato NOGrandiNavi:
As you might have read in the news articles of these past two days, notwithstanding the opinions expressed by the VIA Technical Commission, all seems to be continuing in total institutional chaos!!!!! Various representatives of the Government (Delreio, Galetti, Borletti Buitoni) support and favor a solution that is not endorsed in any project!!!
They are continuing their campaign of total disinformation in asserting that the implementation of the Solution Bocca di Porto Malamocco-Canale dei Petroli-canale Vittorio Emanuele-Marittima will not need to be excavated!!! To enlarge, recalibrate and deepen the various sections of this course will require the excavation of 7 – 8 million cubic meters of more or less polluted sludge!!! This also must be a “provisional” solution: the final and long term solution must be to route all the cruise ships to Porto Marghera!!!!
They want to continue with all the cruise ships remaining within the Lagoon, and continue to devastate and destroy it.
Source: Facebook
Italia Nostra-Venezia:
In order to further clarify the ideas of our readers (which we imagine are as confused as ours by the contradictory news that has followed the subject) we refer to an article by Enrico Tantucci of Nuova Venezia, which once again makes the point regarding the question of the cruise ships. What we had anticipated in the past few days is now confirmed by the journalist: it is not true that the solution “Marittima via canale Vittorio Emanuele” does not require new excavation. Perhaps not a new canal: but this is just a play of words, given that the Vittorio Emanule canal would have to be deepened from 5 or 6 meters to about 12, excavating moreover highly toxic sludge the location for the disposal of which is unknown. And at Marghera there would be a reshaping of frightening dimensions. We also add news from a brief article by Gianni Favarato who has interviewed the head of Pilots at the Port, according to whom the passage of cruise ships via the canale dei Petroli would create serious problems for commercial traffic. In the end, Venice is not made to host these giants of the sea, even if the tourists they bring were not already a problem on their own. The ships do not belong, dear venetians. Let them go elsewhere, as we wait for the world powers to see sense and prohibit them completely also from other seas and the poor oceans, which are already suffering enough.
Source: http://www.italianostravenezia.org
Campaign For A Living Venice 