Changes to the Cruise Ship program in Santa Barbara will go before the City Council for review. Several changes were recommended, and approved, during a recent Harbor Commission meeting.
For almost two years, a harbor commission subcommittee has worked with community members, business owners, and environmentalists to understand their concerns related to cruise ships anchoring off Santa Barbara.
In 2022, after the pandemic, 30 ships visited the area. That number is higher than any other year in the program’s history, and raised alarms within the community about greenhouse gas emissions and impacts to the Santa Barbara Channel marine sanctuary.
"Our total annual cruise ship passengers, so looking back over the last decade, it ranges anywhere from 30,000 people a year to about 80,000 people a year visiting by cruise ship," Waterfront Director Mike Wiltshire said.
According to the south coast chamber of commerce, cruise ship tourism benefits the local economy by $3 to 5 million.
The subcommittee work group recommended several improvements to the program like placing a cap on the number of ships allowed to visit, as well as requirements for advanced wastewater treatment systems, and slower vessel speeds.
The Harbor Commission approved a list of changes that will go before the City Council in the coming weeks.
