A protest by Brazilian fishermen in the southern state of Santa Catarina has been preventing the departure for Uruguay and Argentina of a cruise ship with 1,800 tourists on board, the vessel’s operating firm reported Tuesday.
More than 100 fishing boats since Monday morning have been blocking the Itajai Port Complex canal, on the northern coast of Santa Catarina, and the fisherman are demanding the nullification of a measure implemented by the Environment Ministry prohibiting fishing for certain endangered species.
The cruise ship Empress, with capacity for 1,877 passengers and 645 crewmembers, set sail last Sunday from the port of Santos, in Sao Paulo state, and was scheduled to stop in Montevideo and Buenos Aires before returning to Brazil.
The cruise ship’s operator, Pullmantur, said in a communique that the situation is “completely against” its desires and demanded an agreement between the parties involved in the fishing dispute “so that the vessel and its passengers may leave the port and continue their trip.”
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