As the city moves closer to acquiring the Navy Mole Property at Truman Annex, the debate over cruise hips is again heating up.
On one side, cruise ship boosters claim that the industry is an unqualified success for Key West, bringing wealth to all sectors of our island with no significant negative effects. On the other side, opponents say that cruise ships are a blight— turning Duval Street into a monoculture of t-shirt shops, driving away longtime visitors and choking our nearshore waters with silt. Most people fall somewhere in the middle.
But the fact is that none of us know the true impacts that cruise ships are having on our economy, our environment and our quality of life. That's because the Key West's city government refuses to conduct a comprehensive, unbiased study of how cruise ships affect our community. Instead, almost all of our elected leaders bury their heads in the sand and parrot the cruise ship industry's cry that "more is better." When city officials talk about cruise ships, the discussion invariably focuses solely on the income they produce and the portion that goes to the city budget. Never do they consider the possible costs.
With no scientific study of cruise ships to refer to, the only evidence we have of cruise ship-related problems is anecdotal. But many of us know longtime Key West visitors who are disenchanted with the trend Duval Street is following. The t-shirt shops, franchises and crowds have profoundly changed the character of our main street and our entire island.
As a result, some visitors who valued the history, culture and laid-back lifestyle of Key West have stopped coming back. We must have the facts about what this means to our local economy and the long-term health of our tourist industry.
There are likely environmental costs as well. Divers, fishermen and conservationists talk about the enormous quantity of silt kicked up by large cruise ships and its effect on nearshore waters. Lobster divers report prime lobster habitat being smothered, along with sponges and soft corals. Fishing guides tell how turbidity from cruise ships is killing the fish and killing their businesses.
Another potential problem involves the city's growing dependence on revenue from cruise ships. By counting on this income for a considerable portion of our annual budget, we are relying upon a source of revenue over which we have no control. Increased fuel costs, an economic recession or Cuba opening up could all lead to a sharp reduction in the Key West cruise ship industry— leaving the city to scramble for money to provide even basic services.
Our elected leaders must consider the possibility of a decline in cruise ship revenue and wean our city from its dependence on this uncertain source of income.
Unfortunately, many cruise ship boosters treat any questioning of the industry as economic treason. Rather than engaging in dialogue with critics, comments and suggestions are labeled as "anti-tourist" attacks that would drive the cruise ship industry from Key West. And rather than endorse a study of the impact of cruise ships, the industry successfully pressures the city commission to block any attempt to discover the facts.
In reality, very few people actually suggest that cruise ships be eliminated from the island. Most people only want the industry to provide benefits for a wide segment of Key West while inflicting the least possible damage— and not sacrifice the long-term interests of our community for the short-term financial gain of a few.
To come to a consensus on the future of cruise ships and maintain a balance and diversity of visitors, the people of Key West need to know the facts. Our city commission has an obligation to every individual and business to find out how cruise ships really affect our island. And they must ensure that the study is conducted by people not connected to a special interest— unlike the consultants who prepared the city's Truman Annex development plan, who were later revealed to be closely tied to the cruise ship industry.
NOTE: Key West The Newspaper welcomes opposing opinions.