Falmouth Harbour - economy vs environment
By JoJoWoo | Monday, January 31, 2011, 15:08
Sir John Banham is right. Cornwall is facing an "economic tsunami" - but is it because of Marine Management Organisation's failure to allow Falmouth Harbour to be dredged to allow huge cruise ships into the port?
Or could it be that Newquay airport seems to be closing before our very eyes?
Dredging of the harbour would of course be wonderful for the economy of Cornwall, but at what environmental cost? (Long) gone are the days we can afford to say 'it makes us money so it must be done' with no thought to the environment which surrounds us.
The transportation links in Cornwall as a whole need to be seriously looked into and considered - Newquay's air link with London, and the rest of the country; Penzance's link to the Scilly Isles; as well as Falmouth harbour's link to the rest of Europe and beyond.
Dredging protected maerl beds seems a bit extreme.
Comments
There will always be exploitation of people and/or the planet when looking at economics. Sustainability without growth is a complex area for discussion, but when you look at the triple bottom line: People, Planet and Profit a compromise usually has to be made. There is a strong argument for mass localism. Ultimately its down to all of us and what we consume.
By Inhouse Studio at 13:13 on 04/03/11
Report"huge amounts of money to the town"...I dont think so as the passengers mainly jump on coaches to Eden.For money in to town read money for businesses who persist in paying the minimum wage.Falmouth is in danger of returning to the 80s with all the cutbacks etc.
By taranova at 07:21 on 04/03/11
ReportMaerl beds have the following protection status - one presumes for =good reason!
UKBAP Priority Habitat
Listed in Annex I of the Habitats Directive
and OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats.
These beds are essentially important to marine life - non-commercial and commercial as it's maerl beds where scallops in particular thrive.
They are slow growning, delicate habitats - we shouldn't have even considered dredging these up to make way for big ships.
By JoJoWoo at 16:02 on 31/01/11
ReportThe environmental impact of tourism in the county is huge. Solutions need to be found that enable the grown of the county's economy that are environmentally sound. The dredging could bring a huge amount of money and jobs to the town. How many areas of the protected maerl are there in the country? Would the harbour's ecosystem miss the maerl? People should way up the pros and cons of dredging before dismissing it on environmental grounds from the off.
By julianbayliss at 15:15 on 31/01/11
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