How secure is an owner’s right to limit liability for large claims?

Ling Ong, of Weightmans, looks at the consequences of a ship dragging its anchor in the English Channel

In late November, 2016 a ship dragging its anchor on the seabed damaged several major power cables in the English Channel running between Folkestone and Calais. The incident also cut the main internet cables to Jersey, causing disruption to services. It took some weeks for the cables to be fully repaired as they had to be removed from the sea and spliced back together. This was not the first time a ship has cut a Channel Islands telecom cable. In January 2016 a cable was cut when a ship dropped anchor in stormy weather. While such incidents are relatively rare, damage to submarine cables caused by ships has also occurred in other areas of the world, including the Mediterranean and the Middle East.