Venice St Mark's to be cruise ship free

(ANSA) - Venice, November 8 - Transport Minister Graziano Delrio had announced that cruise ships will be eventually stopped from accessing Venice's Giudecca Canal and the area around St Mark's Square.
    He said that within three or four years all vessels of over 55,000 tonnes will have to go to the north of the city at Marghera, when the area is equipped to cater for them.
    The move comes after complaints from local residents and warnings from UNESCO, which said the city could be listed as a "threatened" site over the conservation risks from the ships. Environmental associations, however, said moving the ships away from one part of the city will not protect the delicate ecosystem of the Venice lagoon.