A year on from the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster, the luxury liners that ply the waters just in front of St. Mark’s Square in Venice are stirring unease in the world-famous lagoon.
The debate pits conservationists who are up in arms about the environmental damage caused by the giant ships against supporters who say they bring the city much-needed revenue from passengers.
The sight of cruise ships as tall as apartment blocks just a few meters from St. Mark’s Basilica is an arresting one.
Photo: Reuters
照片：路透
Official figures from the European Cruise Council show that the cruise industry brought some 536 million euros in revenue to Venice last year and employs 5,470 people in the city.
The arguments from cruise ship supporters fails to convince Cristiano Gasparetto, a local architect and campaigner for conservation group Italia Nostra who has taken a leading role against the cruises.
Gasparetto said the cruises damage the foundations of ancient buildings and contribute to atmospheric pollution since even when they are docked they can produce the equivalent of emissions from 15,500 cars every day.
Given Venice’s global status as an architectural treasure, the debate has foreigners riled up too. World cultural figures including Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk and US writer Bill Viola signed a petition to the Italian government in October asking for restrictions to be enforced.
(AFP)
在「歌詩達協和號」觸礁翻覆事故發生一年後，往返於威尼斯聖馬可廣場前方海域的豪華郵輪，在這座舉世知名的潟湖引發不安。
對於這些大型船隻所造成的環境傷害已忍無可忍的保育人士，以及主張郵輪旅客能替城市帶來亟需收益的支持者之間，在這場爭議針鋒相對。
光是看到這種跟連棟公寓住宅一樣高的郵輪，出現在距聖馬可大教堂僅有幾公尺遠的地方，就足以讓人目瞪口呆。
根據歐洲郵輪委員會官方數據顯示，郵輪業去年替威尼斯帶來五億三千六百萬歐元的收入，更在市內雇用了五千四百七十人。
但郵輪支持者的主張卻未能說服本地建築師加斯帕瑞多，他是保育團體「我們的義大利」的運動人士，堅決反對郵輪進入威尼斯。
加斯帕瑞多表示，郵輪會破壞古老建築物的地基，並造成大氣污染，因為郵輪就算只是停在港口，每天也會製造出相當於一萬五千五百輛汽車所排放的廢氣量。
由於威尼斯具有全球建築珍寶的地位，這項爭議也在國外激起憤怒聲浪。土耳其作家帕慕克及美國作家維歐拉等世界級文化界人士，去年十月就曾簽署一份請願書，呼籲義大利政府執行限制郵輪進入威尼斯的禁令。
（法新社／翻譯：自由時報國際新聞中心）
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