Tough decisions would have to be made if Bermuda were to accommodate larger cruise ships along all its shipping channels, a town-hall meeting was told last night.About 30 people heard firsthand from Transport Minister Terry Lister and senior civil servants details of a study on modifying Bermuda’s shipping channels and the cruise ship industry.Of the 165 cruise ships in service globally, just 26 were capable of transiting Town Cut, St. Georges or Hamilton, the audience was told.And since 2007 the number of cruise ship calls to St. George’s had dropped drastically, from 108 to two, with devastating economic impacts.Meanwhile, Dockyard has been reaping the benefits of being able to accommodate larger cruise ships following the development of Heritage Wharf in 2009. But modifying the channels to allow larger ships to dock in Hamilton and St. Georges would mean significant environmental impact, the study notes.Ninety percent of the total area of Higgs, Horseshoe and Hen’s islands would be lost in the east end, while 30 percent of Lefroy Island would have to be removed to widen Two Rock Passage.One possible mitigation measure is to create new island habitats in the east, according to the study. Audience reaction was mixed.“I beg of you, please do not widen that (Town Cut) channel,” said one man. “It’s a perfect harbour, a perfect sanctuary. There’s got to be another solution.”Another audience member urged the Minister to consider future generations of Bermudians.“That harbour needs to be widened,” he said. “Give the people of Bermuda what it needs to go forward.”Officials stressed that the study made no recommendations and that no decision had been made by Government, but that the views of the public were being canvassed.“The real decision is whether we can do the environmental piece in an environmentally friendly way,” Minister Lister said. He noted that Morgan’s Point looked very different before 1940.“We have the option to recreate for economic good. This is for the people to decide.”Two more public meetings are scheduled tonight at Cathedral Hall and tomorrow evening at Penno’s Wharf.