Page 11: of Marine News Magazine (February 2012)

INSIGHTSExperience and talent make a good salvor, not classroom training. Some salvors start as marine engineers, oth- ers as ship captains, while others mayhave even started as salvage divers. The difference between licensed sailors working up the formal ladder of experience, training and testingsuch as we have in the USCG and development of salvors is clear. Salvors are not licensed, tested or for- mally trained just to be salvors. Salvage Masters result from a career dedicated to all aspects of maritimesalvage, usually within the framework of a ?steady job? such as vessel captain, naval architect or engineer, or as I mentioned, a diver working on ships, tugs and barges on a daily basis. At the ASA we provide training less for salvors than we do for the users of sal- vage services. The salvage community has been effective in finding talented and enthusiastic people that can be given the experience and training on thejob, and there is no real shortage of these people. There is a need for the maritime community to understandwhat we as members of the ASA do, and how we can save them time, money and prevent pollution from damaging both their reputation and our environment by keeping the oil in the ship during a maritime casual-ty event. Responder immunity is a big topic? still not wholly resolved ? for salvors today. What is ASA?s posi- tion on what needs to be doneand how do we get there? Responder immunity is a basic tenet of oil spill response and salvage. During an emerging situation where prompt decisions and decisive actions mean the difference between immedi- ately jumping into action with tugs,helicopters and personnel to get a ves- sel off the rocks intact, or a delayed action resulting in a broken ship and massive oil spill, the salvor must not hesitate. If the salvor is pulled up short by the potential of civil and criminalpenalties should his efforts fail, or should he make a misstep at anypoint, then the maritime communitywill simply be deprived of this service. Salvage immunity simply takes that risk out of the equation, allowing the best result to happen. (Continued fom page 9)www.marinelink.com MN11MN#2 (1-17):MN 2011 Layouts 2/6/2012 1:48 PM Page 11