In light of the fatal sinking of the Costa Concordia, UNESCO are urging the Italian Government to prohibit large cruise ships from travelling too close to Italian shore lines, and curb the routes of many of the vessels around the nation.
The international scientific body is pressing the southern european government to restrict ships from travelling near “Culturally and ecologically important areas”.
Francesco Bandarin, UNESCO’s assistant director general for culture, sent a letter to Italian ministers outlining “longstanding concern over the risk that large cruise liners pose to sites inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List,” according to a statement late yesterday.
Worldwide environmentalists and Authorities have been increasingly concerned at the threat of an oil spill but officials have dismissed reports of a leakage. Other than the huge amounts of diesel in the Cruise liner’s full tanks, fears regarding other contents contaminating the ocean wildlife are coming to the fore. Not only was the ship full of cooking oils and detergents to cook and clean after 4,000 people for a week, but there were 4 swimming pools with chlorinated water (which ordinarily would kill plants and sea life) but also 1000s of electrical items already corroding.
The incident occurred on January 13th 2011, when The Concordia struck rocks near Giglio after the captain, Francesco Schettino, deviated from the planned and mapped route and instead steered the massive cruise ship close to the island, hours after the vessel left a port near Rome for a Mediterranean cruise carrying about 4,200 passengers and crew.
It is reported that the Costa Concordia, though lying on its side on the sea bed in the Mediterranean is stable, with the pumping of the oil from the ship to commence on 28th of January.