Bahamas help

[picklemonkey37]

I was wondering if anyone knew the laws about salvaging and what not in the bahamas i havn't seen much about the bahamas on this site and always thought it had a lot of history of shipwrecks and treasure.

 

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[chipveres]

The last I heard they were having a moratorium on shipwreck salvage. Somebody please correct me if I am wrong.

Chip V.

 

[PhipsFolly]

Hi PickleMonkey... yes, it is illegal to treasure hunt in the Bahamas... and i've heard that Fox Hill Prison in the bahamas is the 6th worst prison in the world! There are lots of us waiting for the Bahamas to "open up" again, but don't see that happening anytime soon. Phips

 

[picklemonkey37]

why did they deside to close it down and what happens if u do find something u have to leave it?? seems kinda weird to not want to recover historical objects.

 

[pcolaboy]

why did they deside to close it down and what happens if u do find something u have to leave it?? seems kinda weird to not want to recover historical objects.

I wonder if diving tourism has anything to do with it.

 

[Diver_46]

There is NO salvage work taking place accept for the few that have the money to put in the right pockets over there. I flew back from there two weeks ago and saw a boat with blowers out in the water. My contacts there suggest that UNESCO will soon be involved there and we all no what that means.

 

[Salvor6]

Its greed at its finest. The Bahamas govt shut down treasure hunting because they were getting only 20% of what the THers found. Look for the Bahamas to open up again with new rules.

 

[ScottyLee]

20%.......sure it wasn't 50%?

 

[Salvor6]

Yes Scotty, before the moratorium my friend was getting 80% of everything he found and the Bahamas govt. got 20%. Now they want more (50%).

 

[picklemonkey37]

so what happens if u stumble upon something in the bahamas u have to just leave it there?

 

[Diver_46]

depends on whether you want to risk landing in a Bahamian jail. If you have money or money behind you to "grease" the wheels of the Gov't folks, you might be able to secure an exploration permit. It will open up there eventually, but the treasure hunters who want to go in there and tear up the reef will be booted and those of us who want to do it right will go as well. If this happens, forget ever getting back in there. My contact within the Govt does confirm that at least 50%-75% will be the Gov't percentage...take it or leave it.

 

[FISHEYE]

There is a way to T-hunt in the bahamas.Its easy and doesnt cost too much if you have the right equipment.A friend was over there for 6 months filming the movie "fools gold" the bahama gov loves movie producers

 

[Diver_46]

Fisheye
Witth all due respect sir...most people are not aware of the "slush" fund that is required to "prime" the pumps over there...i.e. to the tune of 50K for the opportunity to film a movie there...par for the course. If I had the 50k that was "donated" to the two individuals in the Govt over there, I would be over a wreck site right now moving sand (discretly of course) and making some significant finds. But, again, money talks in most countries and the Bahamas are no different. Respects to you Fisheye.

 

[FireRescue]

haven't they made enough money off of us braiding our hair and selling us knock off Prada bags?

 

[theGOLD]

Yes, there is a moratorium on t-hunting here in the Bahamas. The ministry of transport could never regulate it properly and so until they can figure out a better way of doing it, there is a full on stop on it. The Moratorium was LARGELY due to one man. Anyone who knows him called him King George. His name is George Mosco.... He had most of the officials paid off and whenever a project was reported, he was the first to know. I have several friends who literally reported a wreck and came back the next to find Mosco's boat on top of the spot. The boat with blowers you probably say is his old boat. I have a friend that worked on it for a while.
Its sad, but it only takes one greedy bastard to really screw things up in a developing country. So thats the real truth behind it. Not many people know about the situation but man oh man do I have some crazy stories about King George.... Dont get caught int he Bahamas, you wont like the results. They will probably take your boat and you may go to fox hill. Realistically, most of the royal bahamian defence force can be bribed if it ever actually comes down to that though... I have friends who have done that as well....

 

[theGOLD]

Yeah Ive known his sons and grandsons for many years and I honestly like them as people and friends mind you. There are many people in the Bahamas that are great people, but I simply wouldn't do business with, and hey that's just the way it is. That's one mistake a lot of foreigners make in the Bahamas. The Bahamas has SO very much potential as a country and as a fertile t-hunting ground, but it has a long way to come before it happens correctly and without corruption unfortunately.