Today marks 30 years since the International Convention on Salvage came into force on 14 July 1996. The ISU takes this opportunity to celebrate the importance of this Convention which has had a huge impact on the industry, the marine environment and wider society.
The Convention enshrines in international law the ancient principle of “no cure, no pay”. It means that the salvor is encouraged to provide services to a vessel in danger at their own financial risk and will only be paid if the services are successful. The payment is based on a proportion of the value of the property saved and is fairly assessed against criteria set out in the Convention’s Article 13 and an amount to encourage salvors to continue investing in their response. capabilities or future casualties.
The Convention also introduced recognition for the salvor to prevent pollution by offering services even if there is only a slim chance of a successful operation to save the vessel. For example, by towing a stricken tanker away from an environmentally sensitive coastline. The mechanism was the Convention’s Article 14 concerning “special compensation”.
Over time this has been superseded by the SCOPIC regime – the Special Compensation P&I Club clause introduced in LOF 2000 – agreed between the ISU and the International Group of P&I Clubs recognising that the liability insurers are most exposed to the costs of potential environmental damage failing a salvage response.
Highlighting the anniversary ISU President, Leendert Muller, said: “ISU celebrates this important anniversary. The Convention sets in international law the “no cure, no pay” principle and the encouragement it offers has ensured the continued provision of vital salvage services that save lives, protect the environment and preserve the value of ships and their cargoes.
“The Convention addressed a gap in pollution prevention and paved the way for the SCOPIC regime which has been a force for good, ensuring that commercial salvors are compensated for being in the front line of environmental protection. The past three decades have seen members of the ISU perform thousands of services and we stand ready to serve shipowners and their insurers for the next 30 years and beyond.”
Chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping, John Denholm, also welcomed the anniversary: “Shipowners greatly value the availability of salvors around the world who can offer services should a vessel be in danger. The Salvage Convention has meant that salvage services are offered under a well understood and fair system.”
President of the International Union of Marine Insurance, Frédéric Denèfle, noted: “Since the Salvage Convention came into force the values at sea have increased hugely – it is possible today for there to be US$1 billion at risk on a single ship. The effective provision of emergency response under the Convention is the cornerstone to protecting the property we insure.”
Chair of the International Group of P&I Clubs’ salvage committee, Ben Harris, also celebrated the anniversary: “Quick and effective provision of salvage services is vital to prevent a casualty situation deteriorating and potentially leading to a major liability incident. Marking this anniversary serves to remind the whole of the shipping industry of the importance of widely available and robust emergency response capability and how the Convention underpins this.”
ISU congratulates the International Maritime Organisation on the success of the Convention and pays tribute to all those who worked nearly 40 years ago to create the Convention and encourage its adoption by member states. The Convention has an enduring role in helping to keep seafarers safe; the seas clean and valuable property preserved.
14th July 2026
