Code of conduct

• Research the wreck you plan to dive, wrecks are often dangerous and unstable - the more you know the more safe and rewarding your dive.
• Check if it is protected by any laws, such as Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, or Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 - seek official approval if protected.
• Tell someone on shore where you are going and when to expect you back.

• Resist removing anything as a trophy - wrecks are part of our maritime past and should be preserved.
• View wrecks as underwater museums, not as souvenir shops.
• If you do remove an artefact it is your duty to report your find when you land it in the U.K, to the Receiver of Wreck, in accordance with section 236 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
• Finders who act legally and report their finds may be entitled to a salvage award.

• Avoid handling and raising munitions - shells often have their detonators still intact and are therefore dangerous.
• Many munitions are found on military vessels and belong to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
• Military vessels and aircraft may contain unexploded ordnance - if disturbed the ordnance may cause injury or have an impact on the marine environment.
• Check that MoD wrecks are not war graves.
• If you do remove munitions, contact your local Coastguard or the Police, who will inform Bomb Disposal services. They will be able to ascertain whether or not the material is safe and deal with it accordingly.
• Raised munitions must be reported to the Receiver of Wreck, as they are still classified as wreck material.

• The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 makes it an offence to interfere, in any way, with a protected shipwreck of aircraft on which lives were lost as the result of military action.
• War graves are the last resting place of those lost while defending their country and should be left in peace. It is an offence to intrusively dive on a war grave or remove any material from it.
• Treat war graves sensitively, as you would any other cemetery you are welcome to visit, but not to touch or enter.

• Historic Wreck is generally classed as being over 100 years old. Remember that historic wrecks are part of our heritage. Due to improved marine safety, the number of new wrecks are few, making existing wrecks all that remain.
• Check with your local Coastguard if there are any wrecks in the area where you are to dive, which are protected under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. You may visit and even work on these wrecks, but only with the appropriate licence. These are issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
• The policy of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is to place recovered historical artefacts in a suitable repository such as a museum, where they are accessible to the public.
• The rights and wishes of the finder are taken into consideration when deciding on the most suitable repository.
• The legitimate finder has salvage rights.
• Each case is judged on it's merits. The Receiver of Wreck makes the final decision on disposal, after consultation with other interested parties.

• If you find an item of wreck contact the Receiver of Wreck or your local Coastguard Station to obtain a Report of Wreck and Salvage form.
• The Receiver of Wreck will try to trace an owner so they can be given the opportunity to claim their property. In many cases if no owner is found, or the owner is willing to waive their rights, the finder may be offered the artefact in lieu of salvage.
• In other cases where the owner is identified and they wish to claim their property, the legitimate finder is entitled to a salvage award.
• If after one year wreck material remains unclaimed, in most cases it becomes the property of the Crown. The Receiver of Wreck will then dispose of the material in the most appropriate manner.
• Each case is judged individually ant the Receiver of Wreck makes the final decision on disposal.

Receiver of Wreck
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
105 Commercial Road
Southampton
SO15 1EG
Tel: 023 8032 9474
Fax: 023 8032 9477
e-mail: row@mcga.gov.uk

Remember: PRACTICE SAFE, RESPONSIBLE
AND LEGAL DIVING