Brookes Bell brings best practices to Salvage and Wreck Forum 2025

Brookes Bell was proud to support and attend the newly relaunched Salvage and Wreck Forum in London. December marked the first edition of the conference to be co-hosted by the International Salvage Union (ISU), the International Group of P&I Clubs (IG) and the International Underwriting Association (IUA). The event brought together experts from across the global salvage, insurance and maritime response communities to share experience and explore the current and future challenges facing the sector.

On the first day of the conference, William Leschaeve, Senior Naval Architect at Brookes Bell, took part in the panel session “From Principle to Port: Testing the Real-World Impact of the IMO Places of Refuge Guidelines”, where they discussed the real difficulties of securing places of refuge for vessels in distress, questioned whether current IMO and EU guidance is making a meaningful difference, and examined the legal, political and operational barriers that continue to challenge effective emergency response.

Following an excellent drinks reception at the iconic Leonardo Royal Hotel, where Brookes Bell had the chance to meet with several clients, colleagues and friends across the industry, Adrian Scales, Director of Europe and Master Mariner at Brookes Bell, joined colleagues for a fireside chat on “Beyond the Wreck: The Complexities of Waste Management and Challenges of Extended Tows”. The panel explored what happens after a casualty, from the challenges of waste handling and regulatory compliance to the growing complexity of long-distance towage, highlighting the importance of careful planning, coordination and risk management.

“Salvage & Wreck is one of the most important events in our industry. Brookes Bell was honoured to be a sponsor of this newly revamped event, ensuring that this forum was truly ‘by industry, for industry’. Our thanks go to the teams at the ISU, the IG and the IUA for a wonderful two days and we look forward to engaging with the industry to help shape safer and more effective responses to maritime incidents worldwide,” said Adam Whittle, Marketing Manager at Brookes Bell.

Our diaries are already booked for Salvage & Wreck 2026!

Maritime consultancy from Brookes Bell

With a history stretching back over a century, Brookes Bell has been serving the maritime and energy industries with multi-disciplinary technical and scientific consultancy services since 1903.

We are regarded by many of the leading names in these industries as the ‘go to’ firm for casualty investigation, forensic analysis, technical dispute resolution and expert witness work.

If you need help with a maritime-related matter, contact our team today.

For more maritime industry insights, news and information, read the Brookes Bell News and Knowledge Hub…