The results of the ISU’s latest annual Pollution Prevention Survey shows a 35% year on year drop in the volume of oils, chemicals, other pollutants and bunkers recovered, the figure moving from 875,331 tons in 2005 to 566,793 tons last year. Forty of the ISU’s 53 members contributed data for this latest survey.

The volume of crude oil recovered saw a decline of nearly 25% on the 2005 figure while the recovery of chemicals declined by some 90%. The volume of bunkers recovered fell by about 10% from the 2005 figure of nearly 80,000 tons.

During 2006 there was a significant decrease in the number of tanker salvage operations, falling to 18 from 34 in 2005. The largest tanker service involved a crude carrier with a cargo of 145,396 tons of crude, all of which was offloaded in a ship to ship transfer. There was little overall change in the number of casualties requiring STS, 21 cases compard to 20 in 2005.

ISU President Hans van Rooij said, ‘The result of the survey for 2006 reverses the trend of increasing levels of pollutant recoveries seen in recent years. Nevertheless, the recovery of crude oil from casualties last year is the equivalent of over five spills of ‘Prestige’ magnitude. Whilst the number of tanker salvage operations declined sharply last year, there is certainly no room for complacency in the area of defence against major spills.’

The single most utilised form of salvage contract in 2006 was Lloyd’s Form, used in 50 of the reported services, over 31% of the total number of assistances. There were also 44 cases utilising other forms of salvage agreement. There were also 11 wreck removal operations, 37 common law salvage claims, and 91 services carried out on either a lump sum or daily hire basis.

The ISU’s Pollution Prevention Survey began in 1994. In the 13 years to the end of 2006, ISU salvors recovered 13,184,630 tons of potential pollutants. This consists of 10,304,950 tons of crude and diesel oil, 724, 751 tons of chemicals, 894,042 tons of bunkers and 1,260,887 tons of other pollutants.