Receiver of Wreck

The Receiver of Wreck, a post defined under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 is an official of the British government whose main task is to process incoming reports of wreck in order to:
*Give legitimate owners the opportunity to retrieve their property
*Ensure that law-abiding finders of wreck receive an appropriate reward

This involves researching ownership, liaising with the finder and the owner, and other interested parties, such as archaeologists and museums.

The Receiver of Wreck is occasionally called the coroner of the seas. Under British law, the Receiver of Wreck is also to be notified about beached whales, dolphins, porpoises and sturgeon (royal fish) and on the disposal of whale carcasses impeding shipping lanes in British waters. Operating on behalf of the Department for Transport, the Receiver of Wreck is located within the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Until 1993 the job was carried out by numerous coastal customs officials. Nowadays, the Receiver is based in Southampton and is helped by local outposts of Her Majesty's Coastguard. The current Receiver of Wreck is Alison Kentuck.

Canada also has a Receiver of Wreck, authorized by Part VI of the Canada Shipping Act. The Navigable Waters Protection Division of Transport Canada is responsible for administering this program.

What is wreck?

According to the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, wreck is:
*Flotsam - Flotsam are goods lost from a ship which has sunk or otherwise perished which are recoverable because they have floated.
*Jetsam - Jetsam are goods cast overboard (jettisoned) in order to lighten a vessel which is in danger of sinking, even if they ultimately perish.
*Derelict - Derelict is property which has been abandoned and deserted at sea by those who were in charge without any hope of recovering it. This includes vessels and cargo.
*Lagan - Lagan (or ligan) are goods cast overboard from a ship, which afterwards perish, buoyed so that they can be recovered later.

The requirements of UK law

It is a legal requirement under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 that all recovered wreck landed in the United Kingdom is reported to the Receiver of Wreck, whether recovered from within or outside UK waters and even if the finder is the owner. The Receiver of Wreck will investigate ownership. The owner has one year in which to come forward and prove title to the property. During this period it is common for the finder to hold the wreck on behalf of the Receiver of Wreck while investigations are carried out.

Wreck which remains unclaimed after a year becomes the property of the Crown and the Receiver of Wreck is required to dispose of it. Often the finder is allowed to keep items of unclaimed wreck in lieu of a salvage award.

External references

* [http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/row1.pdf Wreck report form (PDF document)]
* [http://www.mcga.gov.uk/ Maritime and Coastguard Agency]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/archaeology/excavations_techniques/marine_receive_01.shtml BBC History - Receiver of Wreck]
* [http://www.tc.gc.ca/pacific/marine/nwpd/receiverofwrecks.htm Canadian Receiver of Wreck]