2025-Oct-31
GBA Pushes for Stronger Regulations on Cruise Ship Pollution
The Great Lakes cruise ship industry is booming, but with growth comes a growing problem: cruise ship waste. GBA has concerns about the gaps in regulations surrounding sewage, greywater, and scrubber waste (a toxic byproduct of ship emission systems), which can harm our water quality.
Transport Canada’s Interim Order “Respecting the Discharge of Sewage and the Release of Greywater by Cruise Ships in Canadian Waters” does not provide sufficient safeguards for freshwater lakes. Reinstated for a third time on June 9, 2025, this order was designed with marine environments in mind and is being applied to freshwater lakes without adequately considering their distinct hydrological and ecological realities. Gaps in the current regulations include geographic exemptions for sewage and greywater discharge, unregulated scrubber discharges, and non-independent monitoring that may allow violations to go undetected.
The industry’s rapid growth – with over 150,000 passenger trips and 700 port visits in 2025 – underscores the need for action. GBA has sent a letter to the four MPs representing Georgian Bay ports, highlighting the regulatory gaps and proposing solutions. Our goal is to raise awareness of the existing regulatory gaps, encourage collaboration on solutions, and prompt meaningful responses from industry stakeholders. GBA is calling for:
- Implementing a No Discharge Zone on the Canadian portion of the Great Lakes
- Regulating scrubber wastewater
- Introducing a modest per-passenger fee to fund onboard inspectors
These solutions would help protect the Great Lakes, which provide drinking water for over 35 million people and support a delicate ecosystem.