Government intervention in maritime casualties that drives up the cost of salvage, wreck removal and compensation was a hot topic at the Swedish Club’s annual meeting gathering.
There was agreement it was a headache that may even be getting worse, but, as might be expected, there is no easy solution.
The debate included the case of the Italian authorities wanting a hugely expensive, intact removal of the 114,000-gt cruiseship Costa Concordia (built 2006), the demands of New Zealand over the 3,032-teu containership Rena (built 1990) and the convention-flouting moves by Spain to seek $1bn or more in compensation from the London Club over the a spill involving the 81,500-dwt tanker Prestige (built 1976).
