An inquiry into the causes of shipwrecks: Its implications for the prevention of pollution

Lord Donaldsonʹs is the latest in a long line of reports that have dealt with the operation of ships and the prevention of casualties. A classic example is the 1836 report of the select committee that inquired into the Causes of Shipwrecks. Despite its brevity, this Report managed to encapsulate many of the issues which still concern us today. The symptoms of current shipping ills are considered at great length in the Donaldson Report. However, in this paper, it is argued that the underlying causes remain much as they have ever been.