REASONS TO REPORT YOUR WRECK FIND

It’s the Law - No matter how small or seemingly insignificant, all wreck material raised from the seabed must be reported to the Receiver of Wreck (under s. 236 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995).

Settlement of Salvage - If you report your find to the Receiver of Wreck, you may be entitled to a salvage award. This applies to both modern and historic material.

Settlement of Ownership - The procedure of reporting finds, means that owners and objects can be reunited, or alternatively, if no owner comes forward, the finder may be given the object in lieu of salvage.

Spreading Information - Historically or archaeologically important material which is reported to the Receiver of Wreck, is then recorded in the Maritime Section of the National Monuments Record in Swindon or at RCAHMW & RCAHMS etc. This makes previously unknown material available for study by students, archaeologists, and interested members of the public. If archaeological material is then placed in a museum, it will also be available for the enjoyment of others.

For further information please contact the Receiver of Wreck at row@mcga.gov.uk

REPORT OF WRECK AND SALVAGE

Click Here to download this form (PDF 173 KB)

If you have recovered any wreck material you will need to complete a 'Report of Wreck and Salvage Form'. You can download the form by clicking on the link above. The form will need to printed as it needs to be signed by both yourself and a witness before being returned to the Receiver of Wreck. Once the form has been completed and signed, please send the form (with any attachments firmly secured) to:

The Receiver of Wreck,
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency,
Spring Place,
105 Commercial Road,
Southampton,
SO15 1EG.

Telephone: 023 80329 474
Fax: 023 80329 477

PENALTIES

Penalties under the merchant shipping act 1995
Failure to report wreck which has been raised (even if you own the wreck), constitutes an offence under section 236 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.

Finders who do not report their finds are liable to pay a fine of up to £2,500 for each offence, will lose any salvage rights, and have to pay the person entitled to the find twice the value of the find.

Finders who do not report their finds may be prosecuted, and those who are found guilty will then have a criminal record.

Related offences under other legislation
As well as incurring penalties under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, there may also be associated offences under other acts such as the Theft Act 1968, The Firearms Act 1968, the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, and the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.

For further information on these offences, please contact the Ministry of Defence and Department for Culture, Media and Sport directly.