|
Wrecks and Underwater Finds..... Ever been diving and found a coin, a porthole and wondered what your moral or legal obligation is? Do you leave the artifact there for someone else to find, adorn your mantelpiece or share it with the museums? This article will hopefully give you an insight into what you must do to preserve these valuable finds for the benefit of all. What is a wreck? At this point the sunken ship springs to mind, but the wreck according to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) can fall into any of four categories- Flotsam. Goods lost from a ship which has sunk or otherwise perished which are recoverable by reason of their remaining afloat. Derelict. Property, whether vessel or cargo which has been abandoned and deserted at sea by those who were in charge of it without any hope of recovering it. Jetsam. Goods cast overboard in order to lighten a vessel which is in danger of being sunk, notwithstanding that afterwards it perishes. Lagan. Goods cast overboard from a ship which afterwards perishes, buoyed so as to render them recoverable. What to do if you find a wreck Firstly it is a legal requirement that the any recovered wreck is reported to the Receiver of the Wreck, this is regardless of whether the wreck is found from within or outside UK territorial waters, or if it has just been washed ashore from tidal waters. The receiver of the wreck has a duty to find the original owner but is also sympathetic to the archaeological needs of historical material. The Receiver of the Wreck has to act impartially between interested parties but always works to protect the rights of the finder who acted honestly. The Receiver is responsible for the administration of that part of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 which deals with wreck and salvage. Operating on behalf of the Department Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Receiver of Wreck is located within the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. So why inform the Receiver? This is to give the legitimate owner of the wreck a chance to recover their property. What happens next to the wreck? One year is allowed for the legitimate owner of the wreck to come forward and prove title (Ownership) to the property. During this year allowed by law, the finder may be allowed to hold the wreck on behalf of the Receiver whilst investigations are carried out. Will I be able to keep the find? Wrecks recovered from with UK waters which remain unclaimed after the statutory period of a year become the property of the Crown. It then becomes the responsibility of the Receiver to dispose of it usually through auction or sale. However in many instances the finder may be allowed to keep items unclaimed in lieu of salvage award. This is solely at the discretion of the receiver and each case is judged on its own merits. Will I be able to keep historic wreck? Historic Wreck as defined by the Merchant Shipping Act includes items that are over 100 years old. The MCA is committed wherever practical to offer historic wreck items to institutions where they will remain available to the public, and registered museums are approached first. The Receiver will also endeavour to ensure that the artifacts are offered to a museum within the area of the find site. The Department of Culture, Media and Sport and other relevant organisations as necessary will be liased with when dealing with historic wreck. Confidentiality? The receiver will not pass on any information to a third party without the finder’s prior knowledge. Want to get involved? The National Archaeological Society organises training courses in association with both PADI, BSAC and SAA, ranging from basic archaeological techniques for divers to advanced courses such as the archaeological use of remotely operated vehicles and side scan sonar. Wreck investigation projects are also organised as part of the training. Call NAS on 01705 818419. Useful Contacts The Receiver of Wreck 01703 329474 Environment and Heritage Service 01232 235000 CADW Welsh Historic Monuments 01222 500200 RCHME 01793 414712 RCAHMW 01970 414712 RCAHMS 0131 662 1456 Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites 0171 211 2099 Archaeological Diving Unit 01334 462919 Historic Scotland 0131 668 8764
|