wreck

wreck, as defined by the UK's Merchant Shipping Act 1995, includes jetsam, flotsam, lagan, and derelict. Any wreck or wreck material found in UK territorial waters, or outside territorial waters but brought within them, has to be reported to the Receiver of Wreck, however unimportant it may appear to the finder. Nowadays, most material recovered comes under the heading of derelict or flotsam. The Receiver only deals with what is found in tidal waters. Material from non-tidal waters is treated as if it was on land, and comes under different legislation. Once a find has been reported the Receiver, whose job it is to protect the interests of both salvor and owner—and, if necessary, to involve other interested parties such as museums—will investigate the ownership of what has been found. Salvors of it must assume that anything recovered by them has a legitimate owner who has one year in which to prove title to it. If the owner wants it returned, they will first have to settle salvage fees with the salvor. If it is unclaimed after a year it generally becomes the property of the crown, and the Receiver is required to dispose of it, usually by sale or auction. However, the finder is often allowed to keep items in lieu of being paid a salvage fee. The crown does not make any claims on anything recovered from outside UK territorial waters and it is returned to the finder if ownership is not established. The Receiver of Wreck used to be one of the functions of Customs & Excise officers, but is now part of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

There are three other UK laws that are relevant to wrecks: the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, the Protection of Military Remains Act, 1986, and the Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997. The first is designed to protect shipwrecks which are of historic, archaeological, or artistic merit. Diving is prohibited on these sites, as it is on those of sunken vessels that contain dangerous cargoes. The second deals with the remains of military aircraft and ships, and these are designated either a Protected Place or a Controlled Site. Divers may visit the former but may not touch anything, while visiting the latter is prohibited. The third, which used to protect the remains of the Titanic, enshrines international agreements regarding wrecks outside UK waters. The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act, 1979, has also been used to protect shipwrecks.