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ProSEA, the Professional Shipwreck Explorers Association, is dedicated to uniting shipwreck explorers, salvors, archaeologists and historians throughout the world, for the benefit and protection of shipwreck resources and the interests of the public in general. The organization recently held their board meeting in Key West, FL. The twelve members, all of whom have a long history of involvement in the Maritime Industry, gathered to raise awareness of ProSEA and the proposed UNESCO ban on any form of private shipwreck research and salvage. Special events included a dinner party in the courtyard of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum for ProSEA members, with a guided tour of the museum and the onsite conservation labs, as well as the membership drive kick off. If you would like to learn more about ProSEA, please check out their web site by clicking their logo below.
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The following article is from the November 22nd edition of the Key West Citizen.
Salvors Speak Out Against Proposed Ban
By Mandy Bolen Citizen Staff Writer 11/22/99
KEY WEST - Mel Fisher spent most of his life searching for, and finding, treasure.
But a United Nations organization wants to ban all commercial shipwreck salvaging and place restrictions on recreational wreck diving, explained Pat Clyne, vice-president of the Fisher family’s treasure business.
Clyne alerted about 50 people, who gathered at the Conch Republic Seafood Company last week, of the possible restrictions and the effect it would have on salvaging historic artifacts and recreational diving.
ProSEA, the Professional Shipwreck Explorers Association, has launched a membership campaign to help fight the rules, proposed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
“They’re claiming we are destroying these wrecks,” Clyne said to the crowd that consisted mainly of divers. “The international community wants to be able to hoard all the shipwrecks for themselves.”
The agency, which has been meeting in Paris about the proposed rules for more than a year, claims that government regulation of shipwrecks that are more than 50 years old would preserve the cultural heritage of the historic ships.
But commercial salvors, such as Clyne, disagree with a government’s ability, funding and motivation to salvage a wreck safely and properly.
The new rules would
not “take away the finder’s incentive to find the wreck, it’s going to
take away the motivation to do it the right way,” said Maritime attorney,
Peter Hess, who spoke of past government efforts to salvage vessels, and
the failures that accompanied those efforts.
“If the ships are left on the bottom of the sea, they will do nothing but rust,” he said, echoing Clyne’s point about the educational opportunities that salvaging offers, such as information about maritime history and past cultures.
“If we allow the government to be gatekeepers of the wrecks, it will deny access for everyone,” Hess said, raising awareness and encouraging membership in ProSEA.
The agency was founded two years ago to combat the proposed restrictions, and people can join in varying degrees. There is a membership fee for salvaging companies, but there is also a recreational diver’s membership.
The fees go toward alerting people throughout the world about the effects of the UNESCO rules.
The United States does not support the government control of the wrecks, but many other countries do, Clyne said.
“For once, the United States government and the salvors are in agreement,” he said, laughing and remembering the Supreme Court decision that allowed Fisher to keep the treasure of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha.
Clyne and other ProSEA officials are hoping to keep the US officials on their side, and raise support to deny the restrictions.
The ProSEA membership drive kicked off in Key West and will continue for the next several months in other cities and countries.
But it started in Key West because “the town is synonymous with shipwrecks,” Hess said.