Admiralty Company " Jamaica"

[old man]

Admiralty Company " Jamaica"

I haven't seen anything on the net lately about the Admiralty Corp. working in Jamaica. Do they still have a premit to work in Jamaican waters and have they found anything??

 

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[Cablava]

Re: Admiralty Company " Jamaica"

This was the last thing I read about it. But then I have not been following it either.

Treasure hunt tussle
Gov't, salvagers squabble over pace of US$1.2-b bounty hunt
Observer Reporter
Sunday, February 20, 2005



Five years after the Jamaican government controversially granted an American company a licence to salvage the rich treasures that are believed to be still aboard Spanish galleons 300 years after they sank in waters off Jamaica's south coast, both sides are arguing over whose fault it is why a single 'piece of eight' hasn't yet come to the surface.


LOTT. the Jamaican people are not going to benefit from leaving it down there
The salvagers, Admiralty Corporation of Atlanta, Georgia, claim that the bounty is worth US$1.2 billion, and is just waiting to be brought to the surface - if the company could only disengage from the bureaucratic entanglements of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT).

"It's just a matter of going out and retrieving (the treasure), but we have to have governmental approval to do that," says Clarence Lott, an Admiralty vice-president, who is in charge of the Jamaican project. "At this point we are not getting the complete government approval."

But Maxine Henry-Wilson, who holds the education and culture portfolio in the Jamaican Cabinet, insists that Admiralty has not lived up to all the obligations of its licence and will have to follow Jamaican laws. It was about protecting the environment and the cultural heritage, she says.

"There is movement (on the project), but I think we need to respect the sovereignty of Jamaica and the reasons why these requirements are necessary," Henry-Wilson says.


HENRY-WILSON. we cannot, willy nilly, give people permission
"We cannot, willy nilly, give people permission and then when things are damaged on the ocean floor or we do not get the returns that we anticipate then the government is held responsible. So we have to comply with the regulations that are there."

For Ainsley Henriques, who resigned as JNHT chairman in protest when the salvage licence was granted to Admiralty, it's perhaps time to revoke the permit for non-performance.
The promised technology to allow the safe salvage of the historic ships is not yet in place, he says, and the government, he believes, is being strung along by the company.

"The licence was given based on equipment, named by the licencees as ATLIS, that could identify all the material cultural remains that might lie on or under the seabed. This equipment has not been seen nor tested after all this time," says Henriques.

"Neither this condition nor other conditions of the licence, as we understand it, have been met. Perhaps it is time to examine this licence and maybe even terminate it and move on with those who can meet these conditions," he adds.

But from Lott's point of view, although he did not respond directly to Henriques, the long-running complaints about a lack of compliance by the Heritage Trust are unfounded.


Charles Nelson, the captain of Admiralty's 110-foot salvage ship The New World Legacy, shows off one of the vessel's two hand-held diver-deployed G-858 cesium magnotometres, one example of the high-tech equipment the company says is onboard.

"They are saying that there are issues that we have not resolved," he says. "We don't agree. We believe that we have more than satisfied everything, over the past seven years, that we need to do to be able to go out into the water and retrieve these treasures."

Hoping to resolve the conflicts between Admiralty and the JNHT, Henry-Wilson says she has appointed one of her junior ministers, Senator Noel Monteith as a go-between.

Among the ships targeted in the waters in the area off Jamaica's Pedro Banks is the Genovesa, a Spanish bullion vessel on its way from Cuba to Madrid, laden with treasures, when it went down in 1730. Other Spanish vessels, transporting the wealth of the Americas back to Spain, are known to have sunk in the same general area.

Originally, the estimated value of the treasure aboard the Genovesa was put at US$400 million, but now Lott says that with additional work, and new finds by his company, that estimate is now in the range of US$1.2 billion.

"We found the three ships from 1691 that we went looking for, and we found at least four other ships, that we didn't know were there, that we believe are from the 1500s - that could be priceless," according to Lott. "We did that in 14 days.

"We believe that (estimate of) US$400 million per ship is very low. If we are right, that's US$1.2 billion (from the three ships)."
However, Henry-Wilson says the company has provided nothing to back up these estimates.

"He says he has made some hits, but we don't know for sure what those hits consist of," she says. "We have no evidence of that."
Admiralty's original three-year licence allows them to trove for treasure on the basis of a 50:50 split between the company and government on all finds of gold and precious stones.

In addition, all the artifacts that have cultural value would be the property of the Jamaican government. Half of the cost of the retrieval process, now being completely funded by Admiralty, would be taken from the government's cut - but only if treasure is recovered. In addition, Admiralty has to pay taxes on its share of the profits.

That licence, which has since been renewed and will expire in November, was a reversal of Jamaica's 1991 ban on treasure hunts that would have allowed only archaeologists and researchers to research the island's shipwrecks. Angered by the government's move, Henriques, a highly-respected heritage buff and cultural historian, walked out of the JNHT, followed by the late Deryck Roberts.

At the same time, contractor-general Derrick McCoy, in the face of complaints by local salvagers who said they were not given a chance to bid, ordered an investigation into the award of the licence.
Admiralty weathered these controversies as well as concerns that treasure hunts in Jamaica's territorial waters would be a violation of an international convention which Jamaica was about to ratify in 1999.

The government later made it clear that the controversial hunt would go ahead. Now there is an issue of the employment of the appropriate technology. Lott, who admits that there is a problem with his company's much-touted ATLIS equipment, says its use is not vital to the next phase of the project.

"ATLIS is the centre of a lot of our controversy because the actual field operational unit for ATLIS is not ready yet. We think it will be ready within the next six to eight weeks," he says.

"For this project, ATLIS is an overkill, we don't need the ATLIS for this."
Lott, who stresses that his company had been a good corporate citizen, simply cannot understand why it has taken this long to be given the go-ahead for the next phase - limited excavation that will give a better picture of exactly what is beneath the sea.

"We are just totally perplexed (at the hold-up) because we want the same thing that JNHT wants," he says, claiming that outside forces were influencing the Trust's decisions. "We've heard statements from (outside forces) like, 'we don't need to touch those things that are down there, we need to leave them there for posterity'. Well, for whose posterity? The fish?

"The Jamaican people are not going to benefit from leaving it down there. It's been down there already for 300 years, what benefit do they have?" he asks, adding that once it gets underway the recovery process could take years, because of the sheer bulk of the treasure beneath the sea.

There should be no fear that the government and people of Jamaica would come out on the losing end of the deal, he says, as it was in his company's best interest to conduct a hunt that is ecologically and archaeologically sound and both sides would keep an inventory of the bounty recovered. It was always Admiralty's plan, he says, to use Jamaica as a toehold in the Caribbean and his company could not risk damaging its reputation.

But despite Admiralty's concern that the project is moving too slowly, Henry-Wilson says she had been assured, by Monteith, that the government was moving as quickly as possible without compromising the country's cultural heritage.

"He felt we were going as quickly as we could, without getting ourselves in any kind of unnecessary cobwebs," she says. "I think it is a case of, without political interference, ensuring that all the parties think the process is fair and it redounds to the benefit of Jamaica."

 

[Cablava]

Re: Admiralty Company " Jamaica"

Just checked out the Jamaica Observer and found this.

US company granted treasure hunt license pulling out

OBSERVER REPORTER
Wednesday, March 30, 2005



LOTT... says pull-out temporary
ADMIRALITY Corporation, the American company that was granted a licence to search for treasures that are believed to be still aboard Spanish treasure ships that sank 300 years ago, is pulling out of Jamaica, the company said yesterday.

The company said it was being pressured by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) - the government's main contact with the treasure hunting company - which it claimed wanted Admirality to identify sunken ships and do a full-scale recovery at the same time.

"We can't do that now as time would not allow it, so what we would do now is identify the ships and come back after the hurricane season and do the full-scale recovery," said Clarence Lott, a vice-president of the American company.

Officials of the JNHT could not be reached last night.
Lott told the Observer last night that the pull-out was a temporary one, but warned that the company may not return if it goes elsewhere and get a more lucrative offer.

"We are now being offered 35 per cent and the government is getting 65 per cent (for treasures found), which we find as unusual.

"Why should we come back and take 35 per cent when we could go elsewhere and get 70 per cent," an obviously upset Lott said.

He said Admirality had already spent US1.7 million on the project since it came to Jamaica seven years ago and that it was costing the company US$4,500 daily to maintain it boats in Jamaica.

Lott said the company has received good cooperation from all other government agencies, except the JNHT, which he said wanted to introduce some compliance issues, which the company has agreed to, but which he said are not now necessary.

The licence allowed Admirality to salvage treasure and split the earnings between the company and government on all finds of gold and precious stones. Additionally, all artifacts that possessed cultural value would also belong to the Jamaican Government.

But last month education and culture minister, Maxine Henry Wilson said the company did not live up to the obligations of the licence and warned that they would have to follow Jamaican laws which pertained to protecting the environment as well as the cultural heritage.

Admiralty had targeted ships in the vicinity of the Jamaica Pedro Banks such as the Genovesa, a Spanish bullion vessel laden with treasures that was on its way from Cuba to Madrid went it capsized in 1730. The estimated value of the treasure aboard the Genovesa was estimated at US$1.2 billion.

In a recent interview with the Observer, Lott said that on a 14-day hunt they found three ships from 1691 that they went in search of as well as at least four other ships that they didn't know were there that are believe originated from the 1500s. It was estimated that the treasures amounted to about US$1.2 billion.

Ainsley Henriques, a former chairman of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT), who resigned in protest when the salvage licence was granted to Admiralty, last month suggested that it was time to revoke the permit for non-performance because the technology to allow the safe salvage of the historic ships was not yet in place and the government was being mislead by the company.

 

[Cablava]

Re: Admiralty Company " Jamaica"

From the Jamaica Gleaner

Admiralty wants to put its hands on Jamaican booty
published: Friday | March 4, 2005

Al Edwards, Financial Editor


CONTRIBUTED - Pedro Bank discovery.

UNITED STATES salvage and treasure hunting company, the Admiralty Corporation, has to date spent US$1 million in attempting to search and recover treasures worth US$1.2 billion from three Spanish galleons on the Pedro Bank seabed, according to its vice-president for marine permitting.

Archival research conducted in both Jamaica and Spain suggests that three ships from the 1691 Spanish Tierra Firma fleet laden with gold and other treasures were sunk off Pedro Bank, about 70 miles southwest of Kingston.

Although Admiralty has located the ships a representative of the company says that local bureaucracy and an unwillingness to co-operate is holding up the completion of this mission.

EXCLUSIVE LICENCE

Speaking with the Financial Gleaner earlier this week Admiralty's vice-president for Marine Permitting, Clarence P. Lott (III), said that back in 1999 the company acquired an exclusive licence from the Jamaican Government to search in a 2000 square mile area (Exclusive Economic Zone) for the ships in question.

In order to recover the treasure the company had to meet the requisite compliance orders of a number of government agencies, including the Jamaican Coast Guard, Jamaican National Heritage Trust (JNHT), Fisheries Department and the National Environmental Planning Authority. In May of last year Admiralty sailed its flagship The New World Legacy from Port Royal to the Pedro Bank in search of the Spanish galleons bearing treasure.

According to Mr. Lott, based on the manifest Admiralty has, each of the ships has loot worth US$400 million each. Within 14 days of going out to sea, all three ships were discovered, and in fact there are other ships down there which have not been accounted for.

"This could well be one of the biggest archaeological finds ever made under water, yet we are not allowed to touch anything. Eight months later the authorities are saying they want a detailed report and are showing a reluctance to help get this job done despite the fact that we have submitted all the relevant documentation.

"Let me say right here and right now, we are not here to plunder Jamaica for a quick buck. We want to put Jamaica on the world map with this find and in order to do so we want to work harmoniously with all the relevant bodies."

Mr. Lott said that Admiralty was one of the best operations for recovering this kind of treasure and employs the best of modern technology in doing so.

The New World Legacy is the ship used for this venture and is fitted with a G-880 high sensitivity


cesium magnotometer two hand-held diver deployed G-858 cesium magnotometers (the only ones in the world), an ODEC Stratabox Geophysical Instrument and three Differential Global Positioning Systems.

'I've heard it said that this work should have gone to a Jamaican operation but with all due respect there is no operation here that has the technology required to make this job a success. I don't think Jamaica at this point has the experience nor the expertise for a project of this size and magnitude. "Hurricane Ivan stopped us from completing the job and now we want to go back out there and recover want is on those ships. We want to identify those ships but we need something physical to verify them perhaps a canon bearing the name of the ship. However we have had so much opposition from the Jamaican National Heritage Trust (JNHT) that it is now holding us back and we don't understand it. It keeps saying you have to do an archaeologically responsible project, you need to do a project that is concerned about the history of this island, --hey that's what we want to do!"

" The deal we have with Jamaica is that every thing that we find that is non precious in nature (anchors, canons etc.) all belongs to Jamaica and everything that is made in whole or in part (precious metals) we split 50/50.with the Government of Jamaica. Of course we take our expenses for the recovery of the treasure. We are estimating that the recovery cost could be as much as US$20 million. Let me also add that the Jamaican Government gets the first choice of that 50/50 split. Some of those artefacts could be high quality museum pieces. We also pay the Jamaican Government 33 per cent tax on our 50 per cent take and the U.S. Government 3 per cent. I think this is a good deal for the Jamaican Government."

Mr. Lott pointed out that usually a standard salvage split works out to be about 65 to 80 per cent to the salver and 25 to 35 per cent to the government in question. Well in Jamaica's case that has been reversed and it is the only country that we will give that to. If we do a good job in Jamaica, the rest of the Caribbean sees it and we can book some good business."

The level of bureaucracy is proving frustrating Mr. Lott said. " Minister Henry-Wilson has been very proactive. She is very intelligent and is trying to get things done. She wants this to be a good project. The JDF and NEPA have been extremely supportive. What we don't understand is why JNHT is being so difficult. We are at the point where we are ready to go back out to the Bank and identify those ships. Two of those ships have never been touched. The third ship is on the reef and is exposed and people are pilfering from it. All we want to do is make this project a success but we can only do that if we get assistance from all the Government agencies. Jamaica stands to rake in excess of US$600 million here.

 

[Cablava]

Re: Admiralty Company " Jamaica"

This. is the latest I can find just now

Still waiting for our ship to come in
published: Friday | February 25, 2005

Dennie Quill , Contributor

THE COUNTRY is owed an explanation why after five years of exploration for underwater treasures, Admiralty Corporation of Atlanta, Georgia, has nothing to show us for their efforts. If indeed, treasure-laden ships swallowed up by the Caribbean Sea have dumped their payload in the waters off Jamaica's south coast, they are doing us no good simply resting on the ocean floor. This is our greatest museum yet, and I don't believe we should leave these artefacts to rust into oblivion. We need to exploit them and quickly.

Press reports indicate that there is some haggling between the Government and the salvors over alleged failure to honour aspects of the licence given to Admiralty. This is five years down the road. When did the Government realise that the salvors were in breach of their licence? And shouldn't there be remedy for such breaches? Is it time to revoke this licence as suggested by heritage expert Ainsley Henriques?

RICH MARITIME CULTURAL

Our rich maritime cultural heritage cannot be left to the whims of treasure hunters. All over the world, there are frenetic attempts to salvage these relics of historical significance. In our region we hear of it happening in Cuba, where Chinese pottery and gold crosses are among the finds unearthed, and other interesting artefacts have been found in St. Kitts and the Dominican Republic.

Most of these countries have insisted that archaeology be part and parcel of every salvage operation. They well understand that profit is the treasure hunter's only motive and that piracy is alive and well. Wreck sites are zealously monitored by their Coast Guards because these countries recognise that such sites are subject to plunder. Has the Jamaican Coast Guard been put on alert where these salvage operations are being carried out?

ARGUING ABOUT EQUIPMENT

So what has Admiralty Corporation been doing these five years? More appropriately did they have the requisite expertise to undertake this operation? They apparently passed the litmus test of the Contractor-General's Office, so they appear to have had the all-clear. I have no problem with private sector salvors, because the capital input is enormous and without private sector's help, it would be left to the Government ? that's you and me. But as with any contract we ought to carry out our due diligence to ensure that the parties are in a position to deliver. It is much too late in the day to be arguing about equipment, etc.

Salvage operations require access to very expensive high-tech underwater exploration technology in order to probe the treasure-drenched deep. It is because of the existence of such machinery that teams can now explore at once unimaginable depths. Remote photographic technology also allows them to relay what has been sighted. So the Admiralty team should have long convinced Minister Henry-Wilson and the country that they have indeed located the wrecks and seen the goodies.

A project of such national importance, so invaluable in providing clues to our history, should have been properly communicated to the people of Jamaica. There ought to have been regular, at least annual, updates to Parliament. The public has a right to be informed because our Government is undertaking this project in our name.

Senator Noel Montieth who has been put in charge of the project should move quickly to see that things get on track and if Admiralty is not the one to do it, then terminate the contract and start again.

NOT THERE FOREVER

Let us not forget that bacterial decay, oxidisation and other factors ensure that these wreck sites, caught between the past and the present, will not be there forever.

Here is how the noted explorer Gary Gentile put it in 'Seafearers' Journal of Maritime History'.

"A shipwreck is a time capsule, a fragment of history buried in the sea, a temporary repository which hides remnants of a bygone age. The wood or steel hull is a transient storehouse. The artefacts it contains are not granted eternal life for the sea is ever changing, ever destroying."

Now if the preservationists win the day, they would be happy for everything to remain intact. And the Government may well decide that since these wrecks have reached equilibrium with their environment they should not be disturbed. Then the other idea would be to court a rich investor who would be able to provide deep-sea diving expeditions to the sites. This sounds like a big undertaking but Disney also had big dreams and look at Orlando today. Let's hope we see some action on this project.

 

[old man]

Re: Admiralty Company " Jamaica"

Cablava, I want to thank you for the indepth report on Admirality Corp. in Jamaica. I heard recently from someone that Admiralty Corp. was having some problems down there and was pulling out. Your report seems to confirm what I heard. I was also curious if they had in fact salvaged anything during there operation down there. It appears that they have not. Thanks again.

Old Man

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Admiralty Company " Jamaica"

What I remember reading is that the main reason they were granted the permit to salvage was because they claimed to have a LRL machine called ATLIS that could detect gold at long distances underwater. Jamaica wanted to salvage the gold but did not want to disturb the other' less valuable' wrecks. (the wrecks without large amounts of gold bullion). Admirality had no trouble finding shipwrecks but seemed reluctant to identify which galleons had the gold. They also seemed to have trouble with the LRL ATLIS machine when tested, which they said could be fixed. Jamaica feels they have been misled about whether this LRL works at all. Admirality says, so what, let us salvage these wrecks, we have spent time and money, and we have the equipment. That is the way I interpet what I read.