The trade fair element of the eighteenth International Tug & Salvage Convention & Exhibition, (ITS) being held at the Bal Harbour Beach Resort in Miami from 26th-30th April 2004, will be dominated by propulsion and associated machinery manufacturers and tug building yards. Returning to the US for the first time since 1996, the ITS 2004 Convention will include 27 papers and a Salvage Forum - covering a broader than ever range of important industry issues. Topics to be discussed by the world’s leading experts include bollard pull determination, the Prestige incident and its ramifications, maritime security, underwater oil recovery, ports of refuge, tackling hazardous and noxious substances, tug construction in China, innovative tug designs, operational concerns and ATBs.