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Small Maine port limits large ships

 

Cities like Venice and Barcelona are not the only ones worried about the effect of big cruise ships on local life. Rockland, Maine has just passed new limits on ships after a tough debate.

Rockland, halfway along Maine's Atlantic Coast, is a picturesque town of about 7,000 with a long history in fishing, and in the past century in tourism. While in the past most visitors arrived by land or on yachts, in recent years it's become a destination for a growing number of cruise ships.

Although the town makes a good chunk of its living from visitors, many residents feel that the one-day visits by large crowds overwhelm the town's character and facilities, including air and water quality. At an August town meeting over 30 residents spoke on the issue, about evenly divided.

At the meeting, officials passed rules that define 'large cruise ships' as those carrying over 500 passengers, and limit large-ship visits to six per year, and only during September and October. There will also be a daily limit of 3,000 passengers, and no more than 9,000 per month. 

Ships under 500 passengers aren't affected, except that only two at a time can dock in the town. Ships with existing reservations also won't be affected.

The best part of every trip is realizing that it has upset your expectations

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