XIV. Conclusion

The ongoing struggle between insurers and salvors is unfortunate. While there have been some instances of abuse by salvors, as a whole, the salvage industry provides a valuable service which inures to the benefit of insurers. Insurers should be more willing to pay generous salvage rewards and thus avoid not only wreck removal expenses but the loss as well. One of the best alternatives is to have pre-negotiated fixed price salvage contracts in place for defined geographic areas even before the losses occur. Salvors also need to open better lines of communication with insurers, provide more information and purge their ranks of "pirates and freebooters".