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Concerns for the salvage industry

Watch 4 salvage industry leaders debating the challenges salvors and wreck removal operations face today.

Watch salvage and wreck removal experts discuss the industry’s main concerns.

Watch the video or read the transcript below.

John Witte, President of the International Salvage Union

“I think fair contracting is a big concern.”

Rupert Bray, Marine Services Director at Swire Salvage

“So, we have a couple. Two that are probably worth highlighting. The first is that we are an industry where the practitioners are getting older and we’re not getting any young generations coming through. So, there is a loss of knowledge that we are very aware of, and it’s happening in the maritime industry as well. That’s going to affect us going forward. We’ve got to attract younger talent into the industry.

“The second is that the size of the vessels are getting larger and larger. We have few instances, which is good as the industry is safer, but when they happen, their impact is much greater, and they are more complex to deal with and the industry has to address that.”

Ronald Lafeber, Van Heck BV

“The main concern, on the one hand, is competition but that’s also a good thing in some instances, of course. What we cannot generate and what we should avoid is the number of casualties. The more casualties, the more money we earn.”

Joshua Allsworth, Project Manager, T&T Water Solution

“Even though there is a 40% increase in salvage cases, there is a 40% decrease in revenue at the moment. We obviously don’t wish for disasters and accidents to happen, but they are our business. Ships are becoming safer and safer these days, which means less and less work, but this is where consolidation comes in.”