BirdLife Malta has just started a partnership with NABU (BirdLife Germany) and several other international partners on a project which shall be delivering an awareness campaign on air pollution generated by cruise ships in the Mediterranean.This project was officially launched in Malta on 9th December and it will be going until October 2017.
Apart from the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (Naturschutzbund Deutschland, NABU) which is BirdLife’s partner in Germany, this project will be implemented together with other Mediterranean environment NGOs which include the Hellenic Ornithological Society (Ornithologiki) which is BirdLife’s partner in Greece, Cittadini per l’Aria (Italy), France Nature Environnement (France) and Ecologistas en Acción (Spain).
During the project’s duration, the NGOs will work towards raising awareness in Malta and the Mediterranean about air pollution from cruise ships, with the aim of establishing a a Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA) within the Mediterranean. Such an emission control area at sea would improve air quality by demanding that all ships operating within the Mediterannean use cleaner fuels.
Through an established Clean Cruise Ship Action Network, the project partners will regularly exchange information, knowledge and expertise through periodical conferences which will discuss air pollution from ships.
Explore more about the project by reading the following information leaflet
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The results of the first exercise in air pollution measurement carried out in Valletta and Birgu through this project showed concentrations of ultrafine particles in the ambient air during the time ships were transiting through the Grand Harbour which are 80 times higher than clean air levels expected of areas not exposed to any pollution sources.
