TSAVLIRIS SALVAGE GROUP - News & Announcements
Mr. Andreas A. Tsavliris Elected ISU President - 2011 Sep 29
Further to the ISU Annual General Meeting held on the 27th and 28th September 2011 in Colombia, we are delighted to announce Mr. Andreas A. Tsavliris was elected President of the INTERNATIONAL SALVAGE UNION. He has been a member of the ISU Executive Committee since 2006. Following his appointment Mr. Tsavliris spoke the following words "It is a great honour and I am very proud having been elected President of the International Salvage Union and I thank you for entrusting me in this prestigious position. As a company we have been a member and committed to the ISU for many years, and I promise to protect, support and uphold our ideals, and will always try my hardest to ensure the best interests of the ISU".
The INTERNATIONAL SALVAGE UNION is an organisation comprised of professional salvors working together to solve problems within the salvage industry. Andreas Tsavliris strongly believes and encourages the co-operation between salvors and the loyalty towards fellow ISU members. Within 2011 alone so far, TSAVLIRIS SALVAGE GROUP were awarded a number of LOF's, four of which highlight TSAVLIRIS' co-operation with other major salvors. Namely, the "MOONDANCE II" case off the coast of East Kalimatan, NE Borneo with Svitzer and ITC; the "OLIVA" case in Tristan da Cunha with SMIT; and the "MAGNUM POWER" and "CHIOS WIND" cases in the Magdalena River with T&T Bisso. These are just a few examples showing the sound, well-established, efficient and strong relationship which TSAVLIRIS holds with other major salvors within the ISU.
Salvage is an industry like most which encounters various challenges and difficulties; these are something that Andreas Tsavliris will be addressing during his term as President of the ISU with the members of the Executive Committee. These challenges include:
• recognition of work/efforts of professional salvors,
• seafarers to be exempted from criminalization,
• granting responder immunity
• places of refuge
• the proliferation of government intervention
• inhospitable coastal states
• sovereign immunity
• clientele defaults
• salvage rewards being increased,
• encouraging wreck removal projects,
• developing the best practices for marine casualty management
• an updated salvage convention
• the imposition of mandatory insurance,
• cancelling salvors unlimited liability,
• salvage securities – difficulties in collecting same in hostile states, and of course, one of the most prominent topics within the industry,
• granting environmental and liability salvage awards
Salvors have long played an important role in preventing and, where this is not possible, limiting accident-generated pollution – major spills result in catastrophic economic and environmental damage. Environmental salvage is a topic which the ISU is strongly supporting as they believe the environmental benefit conferred by salvage services should be fully recognized. Andreas Tsavliris will tackle this carefully, presenting the salvors case and discussing with the P&I Clubs in the hope of moving the issue forward. Mr. Tsavliris will be attending the CMI Conference in Shanghai, China to discuss this subject matter in 2012.
The forthcoming two years are a time which Andreas Tsavliris is strongly looking forward to as he believes that it will undoubtedly be challenging and difficult at times, however, it will also be a great experience where he hopes to continue the good work that the ISU has done so far and to make a positive difference to the salvage industry as a whole.