More and more frequently, passengers from cruise ships visit the nature reserve at Hornstrandir, West Fjords, leaving their mark on the land in recent years, RÚV radio reports. Andrea Harðardóttir, landowner in Hornvík, tells RÚV that hundreds of passengers are ferried to shore where they take a walk before being taken back to their ship. She says cruise ships also take passengers ashore in Hesteyri and Aðalvík.
According to the Directorate of Customs, letting passenger ashore is not illegal, as long as a ship has visited one port and gone through customs inspection.
Andrea worries, not only about damage to the land, but also about accidents happening. She points out that help is far away in this remote area, in case of emergency. She says there is need for prior knowledge of the ships’ arrivals and for controlling the traffic of people in this delicate region.
