The Port Authority of Avilès (Spain) is investing over a million euros in a project to convert a disused lighthouse into an art studio. Though it continues to signal to ships, the lighthouse keeper’s residence and several nearby buildings have lain empty since 2019. They will now host national and international artists, after restoration work designed to preserve both the building’s essential character and the local environment. This action is part of a wider strategy aimed at developing new leisure uses on the port territory.

In response to a sharp rise in the number of cruise passengers, from 1.3 million in 2019 to 1.64 million in 2023, Juneau (USA) has introduced a daily limit on the number of cruise ships calling in the city. With the support of the cruise line trade association CLIA, the city authorities have set a limit of five ships per day, although there are no limits on passenger numbers or ship sizes. Community representatives are calling for tougher restrictions. A municipal tax on all cruise passengers was introduced in 1999, in addition to the port development fee and a separate federal tax levied by the State of Alaska. Juneau estimates it will generate revenue of $21.5 million in 2024.

National route N3, which links the Gauteng region and the port of Durban (South Africa), is a busy highway that is often congested and causes delays for truck. The Newlyn PX Terminal has now been officially opened by the South African President, and aims to move traffic from road to rail en masse. The high-capacity terminal can accommodate up to seven freight trains at once, and is the largest facility of its kind on the African Continent.

In 2023, 33 global shipping companies participated in the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies vessel speed reduction program. Shipping companies reduced their speeds to 10 knots or less in the San Francisco and Monterey Bay (USA) regions. The voluntary program ran from May to December and resulted in a 58% reduction in strike mortality risk to whales; a decrease in NOx and regional GHG emissions by 1250 tons and 45000metric tons respectively; and lower sound levels in ships by 5.4 dB per transit. Overall, the program had positive impacts on biodiversity protection and reducing smog and emission levels in the San Francisco and Monterey Bay regions.