Skip to Content

Category Archives: Isu News

ISU members provided vital services to vessels carrying 2.5 million tonnes of potential pollutants in 2020

Members of the International Salvage Union (ISU) provided 191 services to vessels carrying 2,538,210 tonnes of potentially polluting cargo and fuel during operations in 2020. It demonstrates the critical role of professional salvors in protecting the marine environment. The data come from the results of the ISU’s Annual Pollution Prevention Survey for operations in 2020.

President of the ISU, Richard Janssen, said: “Governments have talked for many years about zero tolerance for pollution, but society now demands it. Widespread public support for the environmental movement shows that care for the environment is now mainstream and has put it at the heart of political and economic decision making. ISU members have been preventing pollution for decades and we are proud of our great contribution to environmental protection.” 

The 2020 figures show a small increase from 2019’s total of 2.3 million tonnes. One or two VLCCs can have a significant impact on the overall numbers. For example, crude oil in 2020 was 360,733 tonnes, similar to 2019’s 400,000 tonnes while the equivalent in 2018 was 978,000 tonnes.

Cargoes of refined oil products also fell in 2020 to 112,096 – less than half of 2019 figure of 278,046 tones. At the same time, chemical cargoes nearly doubled to 133,150 tonnes in 2020. The number of containers involved in ISU members’ services in 2020 rose to 33,523 TEU up from 25,799 TEU in 2019. The number of containers in cases in 2020 equates to 502,845 tonnes (allowing a nominal 15 tonnes per TEU.)

Bulk cargoes decreased slightly to 744,246 tonnes in 2020. This category includes products such as coal, scrap steel, grains, soya and cement. A number of bulk cargoes are not included as potential pollutants and ISU members also provided services to bulkers carrying 521,326 tonnes of non-hazardous dry bulk – mainly metal ores. Bunker fuel, at 111,886 tonnes stays very similar to the 115,811 tonnes identified in cases in 2019 and remarkably similar to the 111,796 tonnes for 2018.

A number of the services noted in the survey did not record the quantity of bunkers or the cargo type. The survey does not include any of the cases for former ISU member Ardent.

Richard Janssen added: “The numbers, when compared with other years, show the variability of our industry. We are always transparent with the survey – we know that not all of these potential pollutants were at risk of going into the sea. Some cases will have had limited danger but many others will have carried a real risk of substantial environmental damage. Continued global provision of professional salvage services – those offered by members of the ISU – is essential.”   

2020 ISU Pollution Prevention Survey Results (tonnes)

  2020 2019
Number of services 191 214
Bunker fuel 111,886 115,811
Crude oil 360,733 400,000
Refined oil  products 112,096 278,046
Chemicals 133,150 70,944
Bulk polluting/hazardous 744,246 961,061
TEU – tonnes equivalent 502,845 (33,523 TEU@nominal 15 tones/TEU) 386,985 (25,799 TEU@nominal 15 tonnes/TEU)
Other pollutants 51,928 95,909
Totals 2,538,210 2,308,756
Bulk, non-polluting 521,326 229,731

Of the 191 services in 2020, variants of wreck removal/marine services contracts were used in 22 services; Lloyd’s Open Form – 34 services. Towage contracts accounted for 45 services; Japanese Form – 11 services; Fixed Price and Lump Sum – 7 services; Day Rate – 21 services and other contracts were used in 36 services. The Turkish Form was used in 15 services.

The survey was first conducted by ISU in 1994 and the methodology was updated in 2014 to include a wider range of potential pollutants including containers and hazardous and dirty bulk cargoes. The survey takes account of the International Convention on the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code), Intercargo guidance, P&I Club guidance; International Tanker Owners’ Pollution Federation publications and the International Solid Bulk Cargoes Code.

In the period 1994 to end-2020, ISU members have provided services to casualty vessels carrying 36,266,570 tonnes of potential pollutants, an average of 1.4 million tonnes per year.

1 Continue Reading →

ISU President reviews the current state of the salvage industry

Richard Janssen has set out the ISU’s assessment of the current state of the industry, noting its response to Covid-19, the capacity of the industry to respond internationally and the industry’s financial performance.  

0 Continue Reading →

ISU announces new legal adviser

The International Salvage Union’s (ISU) long-standing legal adviser, Rob Wallis, consultant to, and former partner of international law firm, Hill Dickinson, is to retire from the position in early 2021. The Executive Committee of the ISU has selected Richard Gunn, partner of international law firm, Reed Smith LLP, to take on the role.

Commenting on the move, ISU President, Richard Janssen, said: “We thank Rob for his ten years of excellent service to the ISU. He has always been a trusted advisor and has represented the interests of the industry and the members of the ISU extremely diligently and effectively throughout that time and in many different fora. We shall miss his calm, authoritative manner and his vast experience.”

“We are delighted to have secured the services of Richard Gunn to succeed Rob. He is a well-known lawyer in our industry with an impressive track record of handling numerous salvage and wreck cases, sometimes representing salvage contractors and sometimes owners and insurers. We are sure that his broad and practical experience, knowledge of the industry and many well-established relationships across shipping and the law will be of great value to ISU and we are looking forward to working with him.”

The timing of Mr Wallis’ move is to be determined but it is expected that the two will begin their handover towards the end of this year with Mr Gunn taking up the position in the first quarter of 2021.

Mr Gunn is Reed Smith’s global head of marine casualty. He is a qualified master mariner and served in the merchant navy for 12 years before coming ashore to work in shipping operations. He then trained as an English solicitor and qualified in 1996.

1 Continue Reading →

ISU publishes statistics for 2019 – number of services shows slight fall, gross revenues show slight gain

LOF revenue at historic low

ISU today published its annual statistics for 2019:

• Gross revenue for ISU members – US$ 482 million (2018, US$ 409 million)
• Activity levels – 216 services (2018, 234 services)
• Lloyd’s Open Form at very low levels – 35 cases (2018, 55) and LOF revenue at historic low of US$ 49 million (2018, US$ 104 million)
• Wreck removal income – US$ 284 million from 101 services (2018 – US$ 208 million from 71 services)

Commenting of the statistics, ISU President, Richard Janssen, said: “The 2019 ISU statistics are broadly comparable with the previous year. Gross income has rallied somewhat but the numbers are still well below the levels of several years ago when annual income was typically more than US$ 700 million, driven by large scale wreck removals. It shows the economic pressures on our industry but our members have confidence that they provide critical services for shipowners and insurers – protecting the environment, reducing risk, mitigating loss and keeping trade moving. They are however concerned about the sustainability of their businesses and the model on which their services are historically being compensated.

“The market conditions have caused contraction of the industry which has sadly lost some famous names in the past few years. It is essential that there remains global provision of a professional salvage capability so that owners, insurers and wider society can have confidence that marine casualties will be safely and cleanly managed by contractors with the right skills, experience, people and equipment.”

The 2019 ISU statistics show that there were 35 Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF) cases for ISU members generating income of US$ 49 million. It compares with 55 cases worth US$ 104 million in 2018. Average income from each LOF case in 2019 was US$ 1.4 million representing 10% of the average LOF salved value.

Revenue from LOF cases represented 27% of all “dry” salvage (emergency response) revenue and LOF cases accounted for 16% of all “dry” salvage cases in 2019.

SCOPIC revenue at US$ 17 million was the lowest since 2001.

Revenue in 2019 from operations conducted under contracts other than LOF (commercial terms) was US$ 131 million – up from US$ 75 million the previous year. Average revenue from non-LOF contracts was therefore US$ 723,000 per case.

Wreck removal income is a major source of income for members of the ISU. In 2019, 101 operations were reported with a gross income of US$ 284 million – 59% of total income.

The ISU statistics are collected from all ISU members by a professional third party, which aggregates and analyses them. The statistics do not include the revenues of non-ISU members but are the only formal measure of the state of the marine salvage industry. The statistics are for income received in the relevant year but that can include revenue relating to services provided in previous years and therefore there is an element of “lag”. The statistics are for gross revenues from which all of the salvors’ costs must be met.




0 Continue Reading →

ISU members’ vital contribution to environmental protection

Members of the International Salvage Union (ISU) provided 214 services to vessels carrying 2,308,756 tonnes of potentially polluting cargo and fuel during operations in 2019 demonstrating the importance of ISU members’ role in protecting the marine environment. The data come from the results of the ISU’s Annual Pollution Prevention Survey for operations in 2019.

The 2019 figures show a decrease from 2018’s total of 3.2 million tonnes. The decrease is accounted for by the 2018 numbers having an unusually large amount of crude oil. One or two VLCC cases can have a significant impact on the overall numbers. Crude oil in 2019 was 400,000 tonnes the equivalent in 2018 was 978,000 tonnes.

Cargoes of refined oil products also fell in 2019 to 278,046 compared with 324,988 in 2019. The number of containers involved in ISU members’ services in 2019 was also down to 25,799 TEU, the 2018 figure was 59,874 TEU. The number of containers in cases in 2019 equates to 386,985 tonnes (allowing a nominal 15 tonnes per TEU).

Bulk cargoes increased to 961,061 tonnes in 2019. This category includes products such as coal, scrap steel, grains, soya and cement. A number of bulk cargoes are not included as potential pollutants and ISU members also provided services to bulkers carrying 229,731 tonnes of non-hazardous dry bulk – mainly metal ores.

Bunker fuel, remains remarkably consistent at 115,811 tonnes compared with  111,796 tonnes the previous year. A number of services noted within the total did not record the quantity of bunkers on the vessel or the cargo type.

Commenting on the results of the survey, President of the ISU, Richard Janssen, said: “ISU members deliver services that save life and property but, as the results of this survey show so clearly, our members’ operations also protect the environment from great harm. The numbers, when compared with other years, also show the variability of our industry.

 “We are always transparent with these numbers – we know that not all of these potential pollutants were at risk of going into the sea. Some cases will have had limited danger but many others will have carried a real risk of substantial environmental damage.

“Attitudes to the natural world have changed dramatically in recent years and the environment is now at the centre of political and business decision making. It is essential that there continues to be global provision of expert salvage services to respond to maritime emergencies and, in most cases, it is only the professional salvors – members of the ISU – who have the experience and equipment to make those interventions and prevent environmental catastrophes.”   

2019 ISU Pollution Prevention Survey Results (tonnes)

  2019 2018
Number of services 214 224
Bunker fuel 115,811 111,796
Crude oil 400,000 978,000
Refined oil  products 278,046 324,988
Chemicals 70,944 127,885
Bulk polluting/hazardous 961,061 743,100
TEU – tonnes equivalent 386,985 (25,799 TEU@nominal 15 tonnes/TEU) 898,110 (59,874 TEU@nominal 15 tonnes/TEU)
Other pollutants 95,909 29,349
Totals 2,308,756 3,213,228

 

Of the 214 services provided by ISU members in 2019, variants of wreck removal contracts were used in 19 services; Lloyd’s Open Form – 28 services (in total, 29 LOFs were reported to Lloyd’s in 2019). Towage contracts accounted for 36 services; Japanese Form – 8 services; Fixed Price and Lump Sum – 12 services; Day Rate – 73 services and other contracts were used in 31 services. The Turkish Form was used in 7 services.

The survey was first conducted by ISU in 1994 and the methodology was updated in 2014 to include a wider range of potential pollutants including containers and hazardous and dirty bulk cargoes. It now recognises that coastal state authorities consider most cargoes to be potentially polluting. Container trade has also increased dramatically and the capacity of containerships is now far greater than in 1994. Containers, with mixed and sometimes hazardous contents – and the danger they cause if left in the sea – are both a potential pollutant and hazard.

The survey takes account of the International Convention on the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code), Intercargo guidance, P&I Club guidance; International Tanker Owners’ Pollution Federation publications and the International Solid Bulk Cargoes Code.

In the period 1994 to end-2019, ISU members have provided services to casualty vessels carrying 33,728,360 tonnes of potential pollutants, an average of more than one million tonnes per year.

Graphics: ISU Pollution Prevention Survey 2019

ISU’s Annual Pollution Prevention Survey 2019 Percentage Pollutants  ISU’s Annual Pollution Prevention Survey 2019 Pollutants
ISU’s Annual Pollution Prevention Survey 2019 Trends  ISU’s Annual Pollution Prevention Survey 2019 Contracts

0 Continue Reading →

Members of the International Salvage Union respond to Coronavirus

Members of the International Salvage Union have confirmed that they will work hard to maintain full service to their clients during the global Coronavirus outbreak, including providing emergency response services to casualty vessels. It has to be appreciated that the previous destinations of vessels and crew pose an additional challenge when assessing how best to respond to a vessel in distress.

Travel restrictions could affect the way salvors would normally deploy teams but the ISU’s members are spread strategically around the world and larger members have people and equipment in multiple locations and on vessels already at sea.

President of the International Salvage Union, Richard Janssen, said: “Salvors are nothing if not problem solvers and we have a track record of responding to incidents whatever the circumstances. Our priorities are to save live, protect the environment and save property and we will jointly work towards a situation whereby service can be maintained to our shipowner clients during the current difficult times. We are all in competition, but we also work cooperatively together in the service of our clients on many jobs whilst respecting the safety of our teams.”

The ISU has 49 full members providing emergency response, wreck removal, environmental protection and other marine services around the world.

0 Continue Reading →

ISU journalists’ lunch 03 December 2019 remarks by ISU President, Richard Janssen

Instead of using this time to describe the effect on our membership of the operational challenges, the concerning business environment and financial state of the salvage industry, I am going to briefly discuss how the ISU is regarded and how it is responding to the realities of our business environment. 

It follows on from our work last year to “re-position” our industry – to no longer dwell on the past of “tugs on station” and the “pursuit of LOF above other considerations” and simply face the realities of the current environment. Now, what does that mean?

It means that our members are part of the Owners and Underwriter’s risk mitigation chain and that the ISU strives to be credible and trusted. We continue to promote the value of our members who enable world trade by providing services which save life, protect the environment, mitigate risk and reduce loss.

This year we have commissioned research to properly understand how the ISU and the industry is regarded. The survey was international and had more than 100 respondents.

The headline results show that the “overall satisfaction” with ISU was 7.44 out of a maximum score of 10 – we are told by the company that did the survey that this is a good result so I gladly accept that! 

The responses showed that ISU is considered credible and trustworthy; is thought to participate in appropriate forums and that it promotes the industry, has an international outlook and provides networking opportunities.

For the overall perception of the professional salvage industry – as opposed to ISU – the highest scores were for the industry being competent, reliable and safe. I find that very encouraging!

However, there were some lower scores, though still not bad, for professional salvors being trustworthy and providing value for money.

Our interpretation of the results suggests that we need to increase our interaction with owners and insurers about their present and upcoming challenges and how salvors can support them in that. We also must continue our drive to ensure high ethical and operational standards. But then again, it takes two to tango…

Good progress has been made the last six years or so which is reflected in the negotiated agreements and improved working relationship with IUMI, IG and Lloyds.

Part of the re-positioning of the industry is to recognise that many of our members have chosen to diversify and offer other services in addition to their salvage work. But we will keep making the case for the high standards and technical excellence of the professional salvor – the members of ISU.

And so I want to celebrate the investment that the professional salvors continue to make in updating and renewing stockpiles of equipment with a focus on future needs and especially the investment in our people; Divers, Naval Architects, Engineers, Tug Masters and Salvage Masters who are our lifeblood. We train them and nurture them – and we pay them, even when work is short. All of this represents a huge and credible investment and a continued commitment to provide services professionally when and where they are needed.

Helping others to recognise and appreciate the importance of a properly funded salvage sector is the job of the ISU and our focus for the next year.

0 Continue Reading →

New President for International Salvage Union

The Annual General Meeting of the International Salvage Union (ISU) was held in London, 19 September 2019 and the meeting elected Mr Richard Janssen as the new President of the ISU.

Mr Janssen succeeds Ms Charo Coll who will continue as a member of the ISU Executive Committee.  Ms Coll said: “I have been delighted to be the President. I am proud of the fact that we have begun to re-position the industry and to demonstrate the great contribution our members make to the marine industries by preventing loss, mitigating risk, protecting the environment and enabling global trade. We are a vital industry. I hand over the Presidency with great confidence to Richard and I know he will be an excellent leader of ISU. He has great experience of all aspects of marine salvage.”

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Janssen said: “I would like to thank Charo for her hard work for ISU over the past two years, she has shown real leadership to address the strategic positioning of the industry. It is a great honour to be the President of the ISU which we want to be the credible, trusted and unified global voice of its members. I want to see through our commitment to encourage high standards of operation and conduct, to promote the value and benefit of our members’ services and to engage with shipowners, insurers and other key stakeholders. We will continue to work with inter-governmental organisations to improve delivery of marine services and safety at sea and we will enhance ISU’s reputation as a source of information and expertise and promote best practice.”

Mr Janssen is the Managing Director of Smit Salvage and he has 25 years’ experience of the marine salvage, towage, offshore and energy sectors. It includes involvement as part of the Smit teams that delivered many well-known and complex salvage and wreck removal cases often with innovative engineering and pollution prevention requirements. Mr Janssen’s experience includes the Ievoil Sun, Kursk, Ehime Maru, Tricolor, MSC Chitra, Troll, Modern Express and Maersk Honam.

Richard grew up in Rotterdam in a family with a strong history in towage, harbour work as well as heavy lifting and transport; he spent most of his spare time on tugs, big pushers, in shipyards and working with heavy machinery. He studied business in Rotterdam and has undertaken a number of international commercial, contracting, subsea engineering and management courses. He was a member of the ISU’s Salvage sub-Committee and has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2015.

At the same meeting, Mr Peter Pietka was elected as Vice President of the International Salvage Union. Mr Pietka is CEO of Ardent, the international salvage and offshore decommissioning company formed in 2015 by the merger of Svitzer Salvage and Titan Salvage. Mr Pietka has 30 years’ experience in the maritime industry, primarily working for the Maersk Group.

0 Continue Reading →

ISU publishes statistics for 2018

ISU today published its annual statistics for 2018:

Activity levels sustained but salvage industry continues to experience reduced returns.

• Gross revenue for ISU members – US$ 409 million (2017, US$ 456 million)
• Activity levels – 234 services (2017, 243 services)
• LOF cases up – 55 (2017, 46) and LOF revenue rises to US$ 104 million (2017, US$ 53 million)
• Wreck removal income – US$ 208 million from 71 services (2017 – US$ 264 million from 116 services)
• The industry continues to be active, continues to invest and continues to provide essential services for ship owners and insurers

Commenting of the statistics, ISU President, Ms Charo Coll, said: “The 2018 ISU statistics again show the economic pressures on our industry. In response, ISU and its members, must continue to promote the value that the industry provides to ship owners, insurers and the wider shipping industry and society.

“ISU committed in 2018 to be forward looking and to recognise that its members contract in different ways and deliver many vital services. Their operations help to prevent and mitigate loss; protect the environment and support world trade by keeping goods moving and seaways and ports open.

“There is fierce competition but professional salvors with their own people, equipment and experience bring an expertise to the most difficult jobs giving confidence that the operation will be expertly managed, lives saved, the environment protected and the value of property preserved.”

The total number of “dry” salvage services (emergency response as opposed to wreck removal) in 2018 was 234. Additionally there were 71 “wet” (wreck removal) cases.

The statistics show that the industry’s revenues have dipped from the performance in 2017 and are up on the low point of 2016 but the numbers are still well below the levels of several years ago when annual income was typically more than US$ 700 million.

The statistics show that Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF) continues to be an important contract and in 2018 there were 55 cases for ISU members generating income of US$ 104 million. It compares with 46 cases worth US$ 53 million in 2017. Average income from each LOF case was US$ 1.9 million representing 7.45% of the average LOF salved value.

Revenue from LOF cases represented 58% of all “dry” salvage revenue and LOF cases accounted for 24% of all “dry” salvage cases in 2018.

Total revenues from SCOPIC continue at very low levels at US$ 21.3 million, marginally up on the all-time low of US$ 20 million in 2017.

Revenue in 2018 from operations conducted under contracts other than LOF was US$ 75 million – down from US$ 115 million the previous year. Average revenue from non-LOF contracts was therefore US$ 419,000 per case.

Wreck removal income has grown during the past decade and remains an important source of income for members of the ISU. In 2018, 71 operations produced income of US$ 208 million – 51% of total income.

The ISU statistics are collected confidentially from all ISU members, aggregated and analysed by a third party. The statistics provide the only published measure of the state of the marine salvage industry. They do not include the revenues of non-ISU members. The statistics are for income received in the relevant year but that can include revenue from services provided in previous years which introduces an element of “lag”. The statistics are for gross revenues from which all of the salvors’ costs must be met.

Graphics follow




2 Continue Reading →

ISU members make major contribution to environmental protection

Members of the International Salvage Union (ISU) provided 224 services to vessels carrying 3,213,228 tonnes of potentially polluting cargo and fuel during operations in 2018 demonstrating the importance of ISU members’ role in protecting the marine environment.

There was a significant increase in 2018 of vessels carrying crude oil and refined oil products 1,302,988 tonnes – up from 933,198 tonnes in 2017. The 2018 numbers also reveal a large increase in the number of containers involved in salvage cases, rising from 45,655 TEU in 2017 to 59,874 TEU in 2018.

Bulk cargoes declined to 743,100 tonnes in 2018. This category includes products such as coal, scrap steel, grains, soya and cement. A number of bulk cargoes are not included as potential pollutants and ISU members also provided services to bulkers carrying 497,973 tonnes of non-hazardous dry bulk – mainly metal ores.

The data come from the results of the ISU’s 2018 Pollution Prevention Survey. The survey was re-based in 2014 to include a wider range of potential pollutants including containers and hazardous and dirty bulk cargoes.

Bunker fuel, at 111,796 tonnes in 2018, was down from 135,995 tonnes the previous year. A number of services noted within the total did not record the quantity of bunkers on the vessel or the cargo type.

Reacting to the results of the survey, President of the ISU, Charo Coll, said: “ISU wants to make sure that it promotes the full benefits that the salvage industry provides. Of course we aim to save life, to save property and mitigate loss but our members’ operations also protect the environment from great harm.

 “We know that not all of these potential pollutants were at risk of going into the sea. Some cases will have been simple with limited peril but many others will have carried a real danger of substantial environmental damage. One major incident can cause an environmental catastrophe with huge financial and reputational consequences.

“It is essential that there continues to be global provision of professional salvage services to respond professionally to maritime emergencies and that needs appropriate compensation.”   

2018 ISU Pollution Prevention Survey Results (tonnes)

  2018 2017
Number of services 224 252
Bunker fuel 111,796 135,995
Crude oil 978,000 798,620
Refined oil  products 324,988 134,488
Chemicals 127,885 168,784
Bulk polluting/hazardous 743,100 1,418,344
TEU – tonnes equivalent 898,110 (59874 TEU@nominal 15 tonnes/TEU) 684,825 (45,655 TEU@nominal 15 tonnes/TEU)
Other pollutants 29,349 64,421
Totals 3,213,228 3,405,477

In the period 1994 to end-2018, ISU members have provided services to casualty vessels carrying 31,419,604 tonnes of potential pollutants, an average of more than one million tonnes per year.

Of the 224 services provided by ISU members in 2018, variants of wreck removal contracts were used in 26 services; Lloyd’s Open Form – 33 services (in total, Lloyd’s recorded 53 LOFs in 2018. That number includes LOFs performed by non-ISU members and there may be some under reporting in the ISU survey). Towage contracts accounted for 61 services; Japanese Form – 38 services; Fixed Price – 4 services; Day Rate – 33 services and other contracts were used in 29 services.

The survey was first conducted by ISU in 1994 and the methodology was updated in 2014. It now recognises that coastal state authorities consider most cargoes to be potentially polluting. Container trade has also increased dramatically and the capacity of containerships is now far greater than in 1994. Containers, with mixed and sometimes hazardous contents – and the danger they cause if left in the sea – are both a potential pollutant and hazard.

The survey takes account of the International Convention on the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code), Intercargo guidance, P&I Club guidance; International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation publications and the International Solid Bulk Cargoes Code.

0 Continue Reading →