Posted by Paul Ehorn on September 27, 19100 at 21:41:48:
In Reply to: Re: bless our preservation laws posted by JoeDiver on September 24, 19100 at 16:52:03:
: : : Last month I took a trip to Morehead City North Carolina. Beautiful beaches and, clear, warm water and hundreds of wrecks. While diving one wreck, 100 ft visibility, 80 degrees warm, 100 ft down and 30 miles south east from the outer banks another dive boat parked on the wreck and put two divers in the water. While I was exploring the wreck and enjoying the sea life that had made it home I encountered these two divers with a hammer bashing the wreck, tearing up the pipe and wires to retrieve a small brass fitting. The amount of damage they did in just a few minu: After all my years tes was unbelievable. I was shocked and when I ascended I told the captain of the charter I was on what had happened. When I said we need to report these people to the authorities, he sadly bowed his head and explained to me that NC had no laws to protect these wrecks from vandals, treasure hunters or artifact scroungers.
: : of wreck diving in Lake Michigan, this was the first time I witnessed divers willfully destroying a wreck. Thank our legislatures, the dive community and everyone responsible for our preservation laws and my condolences to the wreck divers of North Carolina, who will eventually loose all of their underwater history to these barbarians.
: : Exactly what laws are you referring to? I'm aware of only a few wrecks in lake Michigan that are protected.
: Paul,
: The last time I read the laws in Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, etc., it was pretty clear that all historic wrecks deposited in Great Lakes bottomlands were protected from illegal salvage. Unless you can obtain legal title to the wreck from the original owner or a permit from the State, you will be arrested and tried in court if, for example, you remove a porthole or perhaps a figurehead from a wreck. This is true even if the wreck is outside of a preserve, say off Kenosha, for example. The authorities will take you to court, confiscate your possessions, and make you pay a lot of money. Even if you get a sympathetic judge, it's still not worth the trouble in the end.
: It is currently against the laws of the States and Provinces to take anything from 99% of the wrecks in the Great Lakes, like it or not. If you don't believe this, try taking something off a Great Lakes wreck in front of the Coast Guard, DNR, County Sherriff or State Police and see if they let you.
: You may not like it or agree with it, but most Great Lakes divers prefer to see Great Lakes wrecks protected legally and are happy to see wreckstrippers prosecuted. There's still a significant group that favors a finders keepers ethic, but their numbers are rapidly declining. Even Dave Trotter's group who abhorr State and Federal regulation don't take souvenirs from the wrecks they find.
: If you can't live with these laws, maybe it's time to hang up the dry suit.
Joe Diver
Most people are courteous enough to tell who they are, however if you are ashamed as to your identity thats alright. I cannot speak reguarding Ontario, however there are some misconceptions about State law versus Federal law reguarding shipwrecks. You claim to have read the State laws. I suggest that you do a little more homework and look into Federal admirality law. If you are interested, check out my posting on this site titled, The Law, The DNR, The Truth.