ISU Pollution Survey – 2011 Results

The results of ISU’s 2011 annual pollution prevention survey show the quantity of pollutants salved overall was down 14% to 496,331 tonnes compared to 2010 despite a significant rise in most categories.

The major change was a significant decrease in the quantity of ‘other pollutants’ salved, down 75% from 257,158 tonnes in 2010 to 63,338 tonnes this time. However, the figure for 2010 was larger than is typical due to salvage services provided by ISU members to two vessels carrying large cargoes totalling 170,000 of kerosene, which is recorded by ISU under the ‘other pollutants’ category.

“Yet again this annual survey shows that our members have salved a huge quantity of potentially polluting products, said ISU president, Andreas Tsavliris. “These numbers also show how variable our industry is. In some previous years the numbers have been significantly higher due to a small number of large tanker cases. But it only takes one major casualty to cause a disaster. ISU members can be very proud of their work.”

The quantity of crude oil salved went up by 32% from 195,300 tonnes in 2010 to 258,647 tonnes in 2011, which is a more typical figure than that of the 2010 survey.

Interestingly, there has been an increase in the number of services to 221. The Lloyd’s Open Form salvage contract continued to be the most widely used (55 out of a total of 126). The overall increase is probably a consequence of the Japanese tsunami of March 2011.

The number of wreck removals in 2011 was up to 17 from nine the previous year.

In the 17 years to the end of 2011, ISU members have salved 17,047,014 tonnes of potential pollutants. This consists of 12,871,947 tonnes of crude oil (and diesel oil), 1,060,704 tonnes of chemicals, 1,404,897 tonnes of bunker fuel, and 1,709,405 tonnes of ‘other pollutants’.