Legal Definitions - jetsam

Jetsam refers to goods or property that were intentionally thrown overboard from a vessel, or otherwise lost at sea, and subsequently sink to the seabed, remaining submerged.

This term specifically applies when items are cast off to lighten a ship, for instance, during an emergency, or when they fall off a vessel and settle on the ocean floor.

• Example 1: Emergency Jettison
  During a severe storm, the captain of a container ship determines that the vessel is at risk of capsizing. To improve stability and prevent a disaster, the crew is ordered to push several heavy, non-essential cargo containers overboard. These containers, filled with machinery parts, immediately sink to the deep ocean floor.

  Explanation: The machinery parts in the containers are "goods" that were "intentionally thrown overboard" (abandoned at sea) and "sink and remain underwater," perfectly illustrating the definition of jetsam.

• Example 2: Accidental Loss from a Damaged Vessel
  A fishing trawler collides with a submerged object, causing a significant breach in its hull. As the vessel takes on water and lists heavily, several large crates of frozen fish, stored on the deck, are dislodged and slide into the sea. Due to their weight and the rapid flooding, the crates quickly sink to the bottom, settling on the seabed.

  Explanation: The crates of frozen fish are "goods" that were "lost at sea" from the damaged vessel and subsequently "sink and remain underwater," fitting the description of jetsam.

• Example 3: Deliberate Disposal of Waste
  An older cargo vessel, undergoing an unauthorized clean-out of its hold while in international waters, disposes of several large, heavy bags of industrial waste. These bags, containing dense materials, are pushed off the deck and rapidly descend to the ocean floor, where they come to rest.

  Explanation: The bags of industrial waste are "goods" (in a broad sense of items being disposed of) that were "intentionally thrown overboard" (abandoned at sea) and "sink and remain underwater," classifying them as jetsam.