Bermuda National Trust has commissioned an independent environmental study on the potentially harmful effects of mega-cruise ships to the Island.

Trust vice president Bill Holmes said in a newsletter released last week that the study would be independent from Government?s environmental impact studies.

?The Trust believes the results of these studies are what Bermuda needs to make an informed opinion on this issue before commitments are made,? he said. ?We cannot be too careful when making a decision that will shape the future of the Island and have enduring consequences.?

Mr. Holmes said media reports of Tourism and Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown?s master plan about the arrival of large cruise ships ? called Panamax vessels ? to the Island had stirred public debate.

?The Trust agrees the cruise ship industry is a vital part of Bermuda?s tourism portfolio, but is against the model of the future being mega-ships in all our ports,? Mr. Holmes said. ?The Trust is strongly opposed to any alteration of Town Cut to allow for Panamax ships.?

He said widening Town Cut would inevitably alter the dynamics of St. George?s Harbour by making it more exposed in stormy weather, thus diminishing its value as an anchorage. Widening the Cut would also irreversibly damage the marine environment.

The Trust also questioned the wisdom of altering the essential character of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in St. George?s in order to berth mega-ships.

The suitability of Dockyard in the West End as a proposed mega-ship hub was still clouded in social and environmental questions, such as whether the Island could absorb that many visitors or if public transport would be sufficient to tackle the volume of visitors, he said.

Environmental questions such as to how much sediment would spread at Dockyard and how much coral would die should have been answered, he said, long before a decision was made to build a mega-ship facility in Dockyard.

?Have we made every effort to attract smaller ships, even ones not affiliated with major cruise lines?? Mr. Holmes asked. ?We know these ships exist; what would it take to bring them to Bermuda? Could we ensure St. George?s is not left out of the programme by guaranteeing enough dedicated fast ferries to deliver visitors from Dockyard to its doorstep??

Members of the public who wish to contribute to the cost of the Trust?s mega-ships environmental study project may contact Kate Berry at katebnt.bm or 236-6483.