Marine Log - December 2007 - (Page 21)

SALVAGE THE FUTURE OF MARINE SALVAGE he marine salvage industry has come a long way from the days when they were viewed as beachcombers and vultures. “We are not pirates with eye patches and parrots,” said John Witte, the recently appointed president of the American Salvage Association (ASA). “Our world is changing and the salvage industry has to change with it. Professional salvors aren’t measured by the amount of boom they have, but rather by their experience. My organization, the ASA, and International Salvage Union are clear indicators of that,” he said. Witte and Hans van Rooij, president, International Salvage Union (ISU), sat down with MARINE LOG during the National Maritime Salvage Conference & Expo 2007 this past October in Arlington, Va., to discuss the current state and the future of marine salvage. “My goal is to continue the objectives started by the previous presidents of the ASA when the organization was formed seven years ago,” said Witte, who took over reins of the presidency from George Wittich, senior vice president of Weeks Marine, Inc., Cranford, N.J. Witte is the executive vice president of DonJon Marine Co., Inc., Hillside, N.J. One of the issues Witte will continue to focus the association’s efforts on is the promulgation of the marine salvage and firefighting rules in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). OPA 90 directed the U.S. Coast Guard to make sure adequate salvage, response, and firefighting vessels and equipment is stationed at strategic locations across the country That rule has yet to be implemented. ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS Since OPA 90, van Rooij pointed out that shipping is far safer, with fewer accidents. Still, such factors as human error, severe weather, navigational hazards, loss of stability, structural or mechanical failure or loss of stability lead to accidents and casualties. Increasingly, a big part of whether a response is characterized as a “success” is how much potential pollution is prevented. The salvor, in many respects, can be www.marinelog.com T the first line of defense against environmental damage. A survey of ISU members showed that they recovered 566,793 tonnes of pollutants during salvage operations of 233 vessels in 2006. Marine salvors have also invested in new technolo- John Witte, newly appointed president of the American Salvage gies and tech- Association, and Hans van Rooij, president of the International Salvage niques in the Union recovery of hazardous cargo and bunkers. For Salvage Awards which reward the recovexample, SMIT Salvage has developed ery of property. These proposals are now the Pollutant Recovery System (PolRec) being considered by the joint industry in co-operation with Norway’s Frank Lloyd’s Salvage Group’s newly formed Mohn A/S. The PolRec system enables Environmental Salvage Subcommittee. SMIT Salvage to remove bunkers and The ISU will continue to work for cargo (oil and/or chemicals) from vessels progress on this important issue at the lying on the ocean floor at depths of Subcommittee’s next meeting in the first between 50 and 250 meters. quarter of the New Year. Many ASA and ISU members use the The world’s marine salvors have welLloyd's Open Form salvage contract, comed the International Maritime Orgawhich was developed by Lloyd's of Lon- nization’s adoption of a new Wreck don. In order for a claim to be awarded Removal Convention (WRC). three requirements must be met: The The new convention defines a wreckvessel must be in peril, the services must related hazard as a “danger or impediment be rendered voluntarily, in other words to navigation” or a condition or threat that there is no contractual obligation, and “may reasonably be expected to result in finally the salvage must be successful. major harmful consequences to the marine The salvage award is determined by the environment, or damage to the coastline or value of the vessel and the cargo. related interests of one or more states.” A Salvors would like to see the introduc- “wreck” includes not only a ship but any tion of Environmental Awards in order to object that was aboard a ship. recognize the salvage industry’s role in The new convention was adopted at preventing pollution and so saving an IMO diplomatic conference in Nairobi shipowners and their liability insurers (May 14-18). The Nairobi WRC will enter billions of dollars. into force 12 months after ratification by “The salvage industry minimizes risk, 10 states. The Nairobi WRC requires we didn’t create the situation; we are shipowners to obtain insurance cover for there to rectify it,” said van Rooij. the costs of wreck removal. Coastal The ISU has proposed that Environ- States have the power of direct action mental Salvage Awards should be intro- against insurers. The convention providuced to reward pollution prevention, in sions apply to the wrecks of vessels of a system sitting alongside the traditional 300 GT and over. ML DECEMBER 2007 MARINE LOG 21 http://www.marinelog.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marine Log - December 2007

Marine Log - December 2007 Contents Editorial Second Thoughts Update Inside Washington Warning: Shipbuilding Over-Supply by 2011 Steely Resolve: Cutting Injuries What’s on Your Mind? Newsmakers Tech News Contracts Events InfoDirect Website Directory ML Marketplace Last Word

Marine Log - December 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.