保赔保险下残骸处理责任之强制打捞令

众所周知，互保协会承保的风险范围很广，主要包括对人、对物、对费用的责任，以及对油污责任，根据拖带合同产生的责任等，同样也包括本文讨论的对清理沉船沉物的责任，即残骸处理责任（wreck liability）。

关于残骸处理责任，理赔时应特别注意：清除残骸必须是法律或规定强制船东进行残骸的打捞、清理或拆除等。若船东主动或自愿的打捞所产生的费用及进一步的责任不能在保赔保险项下得到赔偿。在此编者摘列两家保赔保险人关于残骸处理责任的条款供大家感受保险人对强制性的要求：

Costs and expenses reasonably incurred by the Assured under a contract approved by the Association, in the raising, removal, destruction, lighting or marking of the wreck of an entered Ship or any cargo, equipment or other property which is or was carried on board an entered Ship where such is a hazard or obstruction to navigation or to the extent that such measures are compulsory by law, or if (with the approval of the Association in writing) the Assured has declined to take such measures, his liability to any other person for such costs and expenses.

the costs and expenses of marking and removing the insured ship which has sunk and become a wreck, including its cargo, in as much as marking and/or removal are the Assured's compulsory statutory duty, or imposed on the Assured by an order of authority.

在实务中，沉船案件一般影响力较大，船东、保险人、港方等各相关方都予以高度重视，法律法规的适用以及文件的准备工作都比较充分。相对而言，在解决清理沉物的案件中，船东与保赔保险人之间就残骸打捞问题往往容易产生争议，其中就包括强制打捞令的争议。

编者近期理赔过一起关于船舶在港池内掉锚，港方要求打捞残骸的案件：

案件发生在冬天，B轮离港起锚时，不幸丢失一个锚及一段锚链，由于掉锚位置可能会影响其他船舶航行及安全，港方口头命令船东立即实施打捞，代理向船东发来书面邮件传达港方的强制要求。保赔保险人迅速安排通代协助处理案件，并多次提醒船东收集并提供港方的书面强制打捞令。

当锚及锚链被捞起后，船东与保赔保险人之间开启了一场理赔拉锯战，导致这场拉锯战的最主要原因就是缺少那张书面的强制打捞令。保赔保险人需要书面的强制打捞令以证明船东的打捞行为是法律或强制性规定以此启动P&I cover。保险人意见主要为：

Having reviewed the policy terms and conditions, under point 19.1, the following term is stated ‘imposed on the Assured by an order of authority’, We understand that the harbour master has verbally instructed for the anchor to be removed, however, we require the order to be in writing, which will trigger the P&I policy.

同时，我们也向其他保赔保险人咨询此类案件的处理方式，得到类似的答复：

Understand you are inquiring about the Club cover in circumstances where the vessel loses her anchor.

So far as P&I cover is concerned, the most important consideration of the term ‘wreck’ is whether the owners have come under a legal liability to raise, remove, destroy, light or mark the lost anchor.

You will see therefore, P&I cover will only respond if owners have a legal liability to remove it. In the absence of a removal order from the legitimate authorities, the decision to retrieve the lost anchor is likely to be considered Owners’ voluntary actions.

通过我们诺亚天泽的沟通、协调，上述案件最终的结果是两家欢喜，但是争议期间“阵痛期”的滋味并不美妙，在此，谨提醒各位船东朋友，保赔保险下残骸处理责任的理赔中一项非常重要的依据是书面的强制打捞令，清除残骸必须是法律或规定强制船东进行残骸的打捞、清理或拆除等。若船东主动或自愿的打捞所产生的费用及进一步的责任不能在保赔保险项下得到赔偿。