A leading marine archaeologist says Canada needs a national strategy to protect underwater wrecks, reports Canadian Press. Rob Rondeau told CP shipwrecks are “kind of the poor cousin to on-land archaeological sites.”
As an example, he says the wreck of the Empress of Ireland is easily accessible to divers in the St. Lawrence River in eastern Canada. The ship collided with a Norway-flagged coal ship near Quebec city on May 19, 1914.
Rondeau has studied the wreck and says it sits 40 metres and that makes it a prime target for amateur treasure seekers.
CP reports that this site was declared an underwater heritage site by the province of Quebec, where it is situated. But, unlike the U.S., Canada does not have national legislation protecting all archaeological sites in the three seas that border it—the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Arctic.
And where there are rules, Rondeau says there needs to be better enforcement.
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.