Shipwrecks : Sinking to Fame
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To explore, or not to explore, that is the question!
Goggles? Check.
Oxygen Tank? Check.
Skin-tight waterproof suit? Check.
Permission to dive in and explore? Not so fast!
Todays waters are dotted by millions of shipwrecks. From German submarines to famous cruise ships like the Titanic, to Spanish galleons and Chinese boats, shipwrecks come in different shapes and sizes. Many enthusiastic divers love exploring the depths of the oceans for these magnificent long-forgotten treasures of the sea. Which points us to the question: Do we have the right to salvage these shipwrecks?
Who is right?
Not everyone shares the same interests regarding shipwrecks explorations. Many people like treasure hunters, for instance, sees these abandoned vessels as a great source of profit while others perceive them as humanitys cultural heritage. For example, maritime archaeologists are more interested to the historical significance of shipwrecks. In order to preserve artifacts from sunken vessels, government adopted laws which arent always suitable for everyone.
Finding a solution
Some governments make agreements with treasure hunters in order to resolve this conflicting situation. In Nova Scotia, theres a law which requires shipwreck divers to cede 10 % of their findings to the government. But today, they are planning to change the law by completely forbidding underwater explorations conducted by salvagers in order to preserve the historical information concealed in vessels. Will this prevent looters from destroying the historical value of wrecks? Alex Storm, a professional treasure hunter argues : ” Unless something changes in the next few months, shipwrecks that could piece history altogether will be lost forever”. But do the government really have an alternate solution to the problem? What can they really do to ensure that items of historic significance wont be lost in the hands of salvers? Undersea explorations require a large amount of money and the government generally dont have the funds. Some profit organizations may be helpful in resolving this matter. Odyssey, an American treasure-hunting company founded in 1994 by Greg Stemm, often collaborates with nautical archaeologists and governments by making expensive explorations possible. For example, Odyssey operated excavations of a British warship near the coast of Gibraltar, in 2002, with the collaboration of the British government.
Drowning in dilemma
If we are to impose a free-for-all and let all divers in the shipwrecks, we give permission to everyone to explore