Salvors say Spain’s ‘place of refuge’ decree is ‘self-defeating’

Salvors say Spain’s ‘place of refuge’ decree is ‘self-defeating’    The International Salvage Union said Monday that Spain’s decision to put a multimillion-dollar price tag on a place of refuge for ships in distress “is counterproductive and in some situations could actually increase the threat to the environment.”
   Commenting on a new Spanish decree requiring a 15.2 million-euro financial guarantee before a vessel could enter a place of refuge, ISU president Joop Timmermans said, “the Spanish appear to have learned nothing from the ‘Prestige’ spill.
   “It should be obvious that there are situations where the only way to save a laden tanker from severe damage is to grant immediate access to a place of refuge. Indeed, this approach is likely to increase the numbers of lepers of the sea,” Timmermans said in a statement.
   The new Spanish rule “could also stand in the way of a salvor attempting to use his best endeavors, as required under the Salvage Convention 1989 and Lloyd’s Form, to prevent pollution. Certainly, a salvor is unlikely to be able to meet a demand for such a guarantee,” he said.