ISU announces 2009 Pollution Survey results

The total of all pollutants salved for 2009 increased to 1,022,730 tons compared with 2008’s total of 667,497 tonnes. It is a rise of 53% and pushes the average annual figure over the past 15 years to over a million tonnes per year.

In 2009, quantities of pollutants salved were up in all categories. However the number of services performed was 244, 5% down on the figure of 256 for 2008.

The main change from 2008 was in regard to the quantity of crude oil salved, which rose by 61.5% to 743,506 tons in 2009. This is accounted for by salvage services provided by ISU members to two large tankers.

The category of ‘other pollutants’ also showed a significant rise of 57% from 40,030 tonnes in 2008 to 62,853 tonnes in 2009.

The Lloyd’s Open Form salvage contract was used in 56 services, there were 11 wreck removals, 39 Japanese form contracts, seven other forms of salvage contract were used, and 131 services were carried out on a daily rate or fixed price basis. A total of 18 casualties needed to be lightened of the pollutants by ship to ship transfer.

Commenting on the results, ISU President, Todd Busch said, ‘These numbers demonstrate clearly how our members’ work helps to prevent serious and damaging marine pollution. They also show how variable the work is from year to year, with a drop in the number of services performed but a large rise in the amount of pollution prevented. And they show how intervention in a small number of cases involving large amounts of, typically, crude oil, can affect the numbers.

‘It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to see that the commitment and efforts of our members and their continued investment in tugs and equipment makes such a worthwhile contribution to protecting the marine environment around the world.’

The ISU’s Pollution Prevention Survey began in 1994. In the 15 years to end of 2009, ISU salvors have recovered 15,976,297 tons of potential pollutants, an average of over million tons per year. This consists of 12,418,000 tons of crude oil (and diesel oil); 977,363 tons of chemicals; 1,192,009 tons of bunker fuel and 1,388,909 tons of ‘other pollutants’ (recorded as a separate category for the first time in 1997).