Mein Schiff 2, the monstrous cruise ship owned by German travel operator TUI, ran into trouble on Friday while trying to berth in Ajaccio, Corsica.
Five nationalist militants in a small boat impeded the ship’s arrival for an hour.
A spokesman for Core in Fronte said that it had targeted the vessel because it was recently fined for the excessive discharge of sulphurous fumes in Marseille. On May 17, Tui was penalised to the tune of 60,000 euros.
Corsican militants delay Mein Schiff 2
“We are not against cruises in principle, we are simply asking for regulation and an in-depth study on the environmental and health impact. We already know that a boat at the quay for one day, engine running, pollutes as much as 800,000 to 1 million cars. We will always choose health over the economy”, Luc Bernardini , spokesperson for Core in Fronte told AFP.
He said his small party had asked for a meeting in the Corsican assembly to discuss the health threat posed by cruise ships, but the request had fallen on deaf ears.
Four more cruise ships are due in Ajaccio on Monday and the militants have promised to continue their campaign.
Mein Schiff 2 has been a frequent visitor to Monaco in recent years.
