A sea of change for cruising, shipping and fishing

With the holiday season firmly in the rear view, the new year is finally upon us.  And with the return of work, school and all other responsibilities, it just makes sense to have something to look forward to in the long months ahead.

For millions of us, those special dates circled on the calendar are a cruise. After taking a hit during the pandemic, the cruise industry has surged on a tidal wave (thankfully, not a literal one) of interest, with 2024 shaping up to be one of the most significant yet for the sector, which was globally valued at nearly $7.5 billion in 2022. TikTok users have already spent the days between Christmas and New Year gripped by the ongoing drama of influencers onboard a nine-month round-the-world trip, and there’s plenty more to come.

This month sees the maiden voyage of the Adora Magic City, the first large Chinese cruise ship. Hoping to take advantage of booming tourism demand, the 135,000-gross-ton ship is one of a pair of new luxury vessels that have been hailed as a major milestone for the nation’s shipbuilding industry (although, as per Quartz, this joint venture between Carnival Corporation and China State Shipbuilding Corp. is truly international in design and technology, with Italian, Swiss and Finnish elements as well as Chinese).

Adora is big, but when Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas takes its inaugural voyage, it will become the largest cruise ship in the world, at a stately 250,800 gross tons. Capable of holding 7,600 guests (plus 2,350 crew members), the vessel spreads over 20 decks and features seven swimming pools, six water slides, a suspended infinity pool, an ice rink and a waterfall.

It's also filled with the latest in cruise technology to try and limit the environmental impact of the ship, which has become an increasing concern for the industry, passengers and the ports the cruises visit. As reported in the Guardian last year, the 218 cruise ships in Europe alone were responsible for four times more sulphur oxide output than the continent’s cars. Royal Caribbean has a commitment to building a carbon-neutral ship by 2035, and claims that the Icon, which runs on liquified natural gas, is a stepping stone to that goal. A unique air lubrication system will reduce friction and fuel use, aided by weekly robotic hull cleaning, while waste heat capture will also cut down on energy usage.

While cruising has some way to go to become truly sustainable, industry leaders are hoping to make it a supposedly fun thing we’ll be able to do again and again.

Mopping up our maritime mess

Outside of pleasure cruises, global shipping remains one of the leading sources of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly when it comes to black carbon, a pollutant that results from fuel burning incompletely and that has dire consequences for not only human health but the climate.

With increasing regulation on black carbon emissions, the race is on to find ways to monitor and minimize the waste product. As reported in Maritime Logistics Professional, a new Danish technology could be vital in helping shipping tackle the issue. Backed by funding from the Danish Ministry of Environment, a new real-time sensor gives ships a better method for measuring their emissions.

Another environmental hazard for our seas comes from fossil fuel extraction, with new tech emerging to tackle issues with undersea drilling. Norwegian firm Aker BP announced this month that it is using an upgraded, radar-based oil spill detection system, which boasts higher sensitivity image processing to spot smaller spills and reduce false alarms.

“It also re-uses hardware that is already installed offshore and onshore, thereby keeping capital investments to a minimum. It is a win-win for everyone involved,” said Håvard Odden, director of Vissim’s North Sea operations, in Marine Technology News.

Gone fishin’

The other natural resource in our oceans is the edible kind. Sustainability is a pressing concern for the fishing industry, and preserving ecosystems that provide healthy environments for fish populations is essential.  

As the BBC recently reported, new technologies are helping fishing vessels operate more sustainably. LED lighting, like those developed by SafetyNet Technologies that ward off animals like dolphins and turtles, and camera systems that can monitor nets are all making fishing more efficient.

Researchers from Arizona State University recently conducted a study with Mexican fishermen and discovered that using illuminated lights reduced bycatch (the unwanted fish accidentally caught) by 63%. The study also found that the lights reduced the time it took fishermen to retrieve and untangle nets by roughly an hour.

The challenge, however, is to make these systems affordable and widespread, ensuring they have the greatest impact.

When it comes to keeping our oceans clean, it’s not the size of the boat that matters — we’re going to need a bigger sense of urgency.

Banner photo: The Icon of the Seas on its way from Turku, Finland to Cadiz, Spain in November for final touches before its debut this month in Miami. (Photo courtesy Royal Caribbean)