Consultants hired by the Bermuda National Trust (BNT) to assess the sustainability of ?mega? cruise-ships in Bermuda will speak at a public presentation at the Cathedral Hall on Church Street at 7 p.m. tonight.

The consultants ? Dr. Andrew Price of Warwick University, in the UK and Michael Donlan of Industrial Economics Inc. (IEc) of Cambridge, Massachusetts ? will provide an independent assessment of the Ministry of Tourism and Transport?s Cruise Ports Master Plan.

BNT said yesterday in a release the cruise-ship experts were in Bermuda on a fact-finding mission prior to preparing a report on the Ministry of Tourism and Transport?s Cruise Ports Master Plan proposal.

?The presentation will highlight the questions to be resolved before commitments are made to make permanent changes to Bermuda?s ports and channels to accommodate larger cruise ships,? BNT said. ?IEc is an economic and environmental consulting firm and has evaluated issues associated with natural resource degradation in the US and several Caribbean islands who for this study have collaborated with Dr. Andrew Price, a senior lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Warwick in Coventry, UK.?

It said the majority of IEc?s work has been for governmental clients.

?During their stay in Bermuda, IEc are meeting with various stakeholders in the proposed ports to assist in identifying the risks from potential port and harbour modifications to the sensitive ecosystems of the Island and how they may impact on the land based infrastructure and supporting resources,? it said.

?At this early stage of the process it is not planned that the public presentation will offer any firm recommendations, but will discuss the questions that must be answered before any commitments are made to make any major changes to Bermuda?s ports and channels.?

?The Trust has been invited to be part of the consultation process by the Ministry and the consultants have been appointed to provide the Trust with the expertise to provide input in a meaningful way as a part of this process,? it said. ?Accordingly the Ministry has welcomed the Trust?s study and has stated that no commitments have been made yet.?

On January 26, Tourism and Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown declared no decision had yet been made about creating access for larger cruise ships to enter harbours at St. George?s and Hamilton. At a January tourism luncheon, Dr. Brown said Government would be in a better position to decide whether to go ahead with recommendations when a study by Florida-based firm, Bermello, Ajamil & Partners was completed in the next two weeks.

?Naturally we are examining options should the Town Cut and Hamilton projects prove to be prohibitively expensive or have significant negative environmental impact,? Dr. Brown said in January.

Bermello, Ajamil & Partners have made a preliminary design for a second cruise pier and a new transport hub for buses, ferries, taxis and water-sports in Dockyard.

In St. George?s, its study has included designs and costs for docking panamax cruise ships at Penno?s Wharf as well as a swell condition study should Town Cut be widened.

In addition to the Florida-firm?s study, Government has also conducted computer simulations and impact studies on the effects of panamax cruise ships entering Two-Rock Passage, Penno?s Wharf and Ordnance Island, he said.

BNT said yesterday the results of these computer simulations would be available shortly.

It invited the public to attend the presentation to hear more about ?mega? cruise ships, or to call Steve Conway or Dorcas Roberts at 236-6483 or stevebnt.bm for more information.