General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: Tomb raiders - International Ban on Wreck Diving?
Posted by:
Paul
()
Date: January 18, 2008 07:11PM
Hi Robert,
There have been a number of state, national and international agreements, laws and treaties giving protection to military war graves and warship/war-grave sites, some of which are honored in certain states, and countries, more than others.
They come under many names, and under the authority of many different agencies, and because they are so convoluted and diverse, have led to a push for a common international treaty under the UNESCO Convention. Ultimately, the lax enforcement of many of the present agreements, laws, statutes and treaties, may lead to the complete ban on recreational divers, to visit any wreck site, not just military grave sites.
I am also a technical shipwreck diver, and over the years have visited a number of wrecks that can clearly be considered to have been war graves. Any self respecting diver on such wrecks take only memories, sometimes photos, and leave behind only bubbles. It is bad karma, and also illegal to disturb, or to remove any artifacts from such sites, though every diver has heard the macabre tales of some bastard removing personal belongings, or even a human bone, for their artifact collection. The U-boats off the American Northeast coast, particularly the U-853, and most recently the U-869, are visited regularly, and both contain the conspicuous skeletal remains of their crews.
The U-853 lies not only in American, but also in Rhode Island (State) waters, but enforcement of restrictions on artifact recovery have never been enforced. Most countries have Federal laws, some with names like the "Protection of Military Remains and/or Graves Act" though likewise, they are rarely enforced. Most coastal states also have their own Underwater Archaeological Boards, with their own restrictive laws and regulations. Some states, such as Florida, are known for their stricter enforcement, particularly because of the number of treasure laden wrecks, to which the state treasury has a compelling interest.
Other Nations such as the United Kingdom have been known to strictly enforce their laws, but an enforcement agency has to be on site when the dive boat is on location, to have any chance of monitoring and enforcing those laws. Needless to say, enforcement is tenuous, at best.
Though the UNESCO Convention proposal is an overly broad, unreasonably restrictive ban on shipwreck diving, it may ultimately pass because of the failure of the shipwreck diving community to self police the unscrupulous acts of a small minority of its participants.
Regards,
Paul
There have been a number of state, national and international agreements, laws and treaties giving protection to military war graves and warship/war-grave sites, some of which are honored in certain states, and countries, more than others.
They come under many names, and under the authority of many different agencies, and because they are so convoluted and diverse, have led to a push for a common international treaty under the UNESCO Convention. Ultimately, the lax enforcement of many of the present agreements, laws, statutes and treaties, may lead to the complete ban on recreational divers, to visit any wreck site, not just military grave sites.
I am also a technical shipwreck diver, and over the years have visited a number of wrecks that can clearly be considered to have been war graves. Any self respecting diver on such wrecks take only memories, sometimes photos, and leave behind only bubbles. It is bad karma, and also illegal to disturb, or to remove any artifacts from such sites, though every diver has heard the macabre tales of some bastard removing personal belongings, or even a human bone, for their artifact collection. The U-boats off the American Northeast coast, particularly the U-853, and most recently the U-869, are visited regularly, and both contain the conspicuous skeletal remains of their crews.
The U-853 lies not only in American, but also in Rhode Island (State) waters, but enforcement of restrictions on artifact recovery have never been enforced. Most countries have Federal laws, some with names like the "Protection of Military Remains and/or Graves Act" though likewise, they are rarely enforced. Most coastal states also have their own Underwater Archaeological Boards, with their own restrictive laws and regulations. Some states, such as Florida, are known for their stricter enforcement, particularly because of the number of treasure laden wrecks, to which the state treasury has a compelling interest.
Other Nations such as the United Kingdom have been known to strictly enforce their laws, but an enforcement agency has to be on site when the dive boat is on location, to have any chance of monitoring and enforcing those laws. Needless to say, enforcement is tenuous, at best.
Though the UNESCO Convention proposal is an overly broad, unreasonably restrictive ban on shipwreck diving, it may ultimately pass because of the failure of the shipwreck diving community to self police the unscrupulous acts of a small minority of its participants.
Regards,
Paul
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