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The HFO ban in most protected areas of Svalbard has existed since
2007 and 2010. Ships carrying HFO cannot sail in South Spitsbergen National
Park, Forlandet National Park, Northwest Spitsbergen National Park and the
nature reserves on the east side of Svalbard (also there is a maximum ship
capacity of 200 passengers allowed). The national parks extend to the 12
nautical mile limit from shore. The objective of these restrictions is to avoid
major pollution from heavy bunker oil in case of an accident at sea and to limit
the environmental damage caused if it should occur.
This regulation means that heavy bunker oil is prohibited
within most of Svalbard's territorial waters. From Jan. 1, 2015 the fuel
regulations for ships arriving at Svalbard will be fully implemented.
These regulations, known as “the heavy oil ban”, mean that no
ships can sail within the borders of the national parks on the East and West
Coast of the archipelago with that kind of fuel on board, according to Cruise
Norway. An exception was made for cruise ships to be able to visit
Magdalenefjorden and Ny-Alesund on the West Coast of Spitsbergen, an exception
that will be terminated after 2015.
The Governor of Svalbard issued information on the fuel regulations recently,
that apparently has led to some confusion, which the Norwegian cruise marketing
association said it is trying to clear up with the statement issued today.
Cruise Norway said the big question is: does the heavy oil ban mean that all
cruise traffic to Svalbard is to be stopped, knowing that heavy oil is still the
dominant fuel? The quick answer is: no, but it is not as simple as that, the
association added and explained as follows:
All cruise ships and other ships with heavy fuel are allowed to visit
Longyearbyen and Isfjorden (the Ice Fjord) after Jan. 1, 2015, via a permanent
specific corridor. Acknowledging the fact that many of the cruise companies have
Magdalenefjorden and Ny-Alesund featured as highlights on their visits, Svalbard
Tourism and the tourism businesses in Longyearbyen have joined forces to find
other attractions in order to keep overseas cruise tourism on Svalbard.
They have responded as follows: Cruise Network Longyearbyen: Businesses in
Longyearbyen have created the Cruise Network Longyearbyen, in order to improve
how all facilities in the city are coordinated during cruise calls. Their goal
is to provide more shore excursions with sufficient capacity, better utilization
of scarce resources (like buses), welcoming arrangements on the pier, etc.
Longyearbyen: Local companies are joining forces to better serve cruise lines
with shore excursion options, like hiking, glacier walks, dog sledding, visits
to dog yards, boat trips, sightseeing, museums, art & culture, etc. The capacity
with coordinated suppliers is about 2,000 passengers within an eight-hour stay.
Shops, museums and galleries will offer more flexible opening hours. Overnight
stays are also made more attractive with participating restaurants, pubs and
bars.
Isfjorden (the Ice Fjord): As an alternative to visits to the Magdalenefjorden
and Ny-Alesund, plans call for developing the Isfjorden-system as an extended
destination for ships calling at Longyearbyen. This huge fjord system is
attractive for numerous reasons: The “ghost town” of Pyramiden, the abandoned
Russian settlement – now prepared for visits, including guides and lunch.
Glaciers, mountains, bird cliffs, wildlife and an exceptional geology provide
locations to visit on shore.
Logistics regarding the port, the airport and pilotage: The Longyear Airport (LYR)
is an international airport handling aircrafts up to the size of a Boeing 737.
The international Port of Longyearbyen is located three kilometers or two miles
from the airport and is well established as a turnaround port for cruise calls,
handling approximately 10 000 cruise passengers on turnarounds in 2013.
The port will be extended over the next couple of years, offering more capacity
and improved facilities for visitors in the port area.
Combining visits to Longyearbyen and Isfjorden also provides cost savings as
both fuel and pilotage expenses will drop substantially. Longyearbyen is only
five nautical miles from the nearest pilot embarkation area. |
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