Members of the International Salvage Union (ISU) recovered nearly one million tonnes of potential pollutants during salvage operations last year. During 2002, emergency assistance was provided worldwide for 268 vessels with cargoes and bunkers threatening pollution, as against 247 ships in 2001. The results of the ISU’s latest annual Pollution Prevention Survey show that oils, chemicals, other pollutants and bunker fuel recovered last year totalled 957,122 tonnes, as against 539,073 tonnes in 2001. This amounts to an increase of 77.5%. ISU President Joop Timmermans says: “ISU salvors have recovered over 10.4 million tonnes of potential pollutants in the nine years to end-2002.