Current BVI shipwreck laws?

[Thensaurus]

Since I can't get a reply from the Premier's office I was wondering if anyone knows the current shipwreck exploration and salvage laws for BVI?

Do they use the same laws as England but just process it through the BVI's Premier's office since he is the receiver of wrecks?

Cheers

 

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[SADS 669]

Send BVI hunter a PM, he'll find out for you. He's a good bloke for an ex military chap.........

 

[Au_Dreamers]

You MAY be SOL if they follow England's laws

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/.../accessing-englands-protected-wreck-sites.pdf

Appendix 1: Annex to the 2001
UNESCO Convention on the
Protection of the Underwater
Cultural Heritage

Rules concerning activities directed at
underwater cultural heritage

I General principles

Rule 1 The protection of underwater
cultural heritage through in situ preservation
shall be considered as the first option.
Accordingly, activities directed at underwater
cultural heritage shall be authorized in a
manner consistent with the protection of that
heritage, and subject to that requirement
may be authorized for the purpose of making
a significant contribution to protection or
knowledge or enhancement of underwater
cultural heritage.

Rule 2 The commercial exploitation of
underwater cultural heritage for trade or
speculation or its irretrievable dispersal
is fundamentally incompatible with the
protection and proper management of
underwater cultural heritage. Underwater
cultural heritage shall not be traded, sold,
bought or bartered as commercial goods.

 

[old man]

You MAY be SOL if they follow England's laws

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/.../accessing-englands-protected-wreck-sites.pdf

Appendix 1: Annex to the 2001
UNESCO Convention on the
Protection of the Underwater
Cultural Heritage

Rules concerning activities directed at
underwater cultural heritage

I General principles

Rule 1 The protection of underwater
cultural heritage through in situ preservation
shall be considered as the first option.
Accordingly, activities directed at underwater
cultural heritage shall be authorized in a
manner consistent with the protection of that
heritage, and subject to that requirement
may be authorized for the purpose of making
a significant contribution to protection or
knowledge or enhancement of underwater
cultural heritage.

Rule 2 The commercial exploitation of
underwater cultural heritage for trade or
speculation or its irretrievable dispersal
is fundamentally incompatible with the
protection and proper management of
underwater cultural heritage. Underwater
cultural heritage shall not be traded, sold,
bought or bartered as commercial goods.

Au_Dreamers, I think you may be right. I remember Bert Kilbride doing a Special on Treasure Hunting with Geraldo Rivera in the BVI many years ago. I think BVI may prohibit Treasure Hunting Now. A quick way to find out would be to call a Solicitor in BVI.

 

[Mud Skipper]

Bert did many interviews for TV, he had a permit to search, not recovery and only in the later part of the 1980`s the company was a partnership between Bert and Mel Fisher, the BVI has never issued a recovery permit and the Premier is not the receiver of wrecks John Samuals @ shipping is, the UK law does not apply and a solicitor will take your money to eventually tell you what I am telling you. There is a very very low chance of any treasure wrecks in the BVI, that is fact not beer bs. Please ask or hire and pay for the research and you will see what I am saying is the truth, not research from friends of friends, but real research from Seville, Madrid or Europe, I have done all of the above and more, looked outside the box, outside of Spain, Slavers, Privateers etc etc by the time you have done it properly you will be broke and no I am not broke. Ask Claudio or Victoria Stappels, they will both tell you very little of value in the BVI. Now before the rest of you spout off about BVI Hunter, a few coins and some stories are just that, a weekend warrior. The Premier Honourable Smith does not believe in recovery and has his own views as do other Govt. officials the artifacts should remain in situ and only be recovered in an emergency - Dr. Mitch Kent will confirm same he is in charge of a lot of this area, there is no grey area, excavation is prohibited, legislation is changing to ensure stricter monitoring of known sites, etc So dont insult yourselves by posting dribble stick to facts. The best bet for a permit is Bahamas or Cuba and these are in my opinion probably in the top 5 locations to recover history and prize on this planet.
Merry Christmas, you can always pm me, no I am not trying to jump your site like some deluded idiots on this site are convinced ironically there are more friendly pirates lurking on this site than out there, and more armchair idiots than you are made to believe, all tossing their stories around stealing bits of info and embelishing other peoples encounters as if their own. Walk with both feet on the ground and good luck!

 

[Thensaurus]

Thanks for the replies. It looks like it's off limits anyways.

FWIW research doesn't "find" shipwrecks. People in the water do. I'm not concerned with what researchers "believe", I'm concerned about what I've seen...

The best bets aren't the Bahamas nor Cuba because I can't legally "work" wrecks in those places. No American can...

 

[Mud Skipper]

Now thats just a silly reply - the Caribbean, BVI included is littered with wrecks - you are not the first nor the last to find a wreck or hear of a wreck that has some coins or things of interest. You need to recovered a sh..id ton of material to make it feesible and I would never take investors on, another scam in most instances. So whatever youve seen I am sure a lot of others have as well.
Researchers "Believe" because people like myself and many others paid tens of thousands of dollars for them to search all archives in most countries, and before me there were others and then there were people like myself that paid researchers and went to all the archives, to museums, to libraries, researched memoirs, logs and tales by themselves and again there are certain facts you cannot change you may wish you could change it but you cannot. As for the Bahamas you can work there legally if they open up to legal contracts far sooner than the BVI and the chances are far higher of recovery in the Bahamas than most of the Caribbean. Since you are stating no American can work in those countries well you must have a work permit to work in the BVI and a company and trade license for your own business and a permit from the Ministry to excavate legally - or you can act like a fool a dig around illegally on a trade vessel scraping for coins and dreams, your call. The bottom line is you are misinformed about where US citizens or people of other nations can or cannot work LEGALLY. Anyway good luck try not get caught if the urge is to great to resist. History is amazing why not save and share it for future generations legally so that all can benefit - good luck

Thanks for the replies. It looks like it's off limits anyways.

FWIW research doesn't "find" shipwrecks. People in the water do. I'm not concerned with what researchers "believe", I'm concerned about what I've seen...

The best bets aren't the Bahamas nor Cuba because I can't legally "work" wrecks in those places. No American can...

 

[old man]

Now thats just a silly reply - the Caribbean, BVI included is littered with wrecks - you are not the first nor the last to find a wreck or hear of a wreck that has some coins or things of interest. You need to recovered a sh..id ton of material to make it feesible and I would never take investors on, another scam in most instances. So whatever youve seen I am sure a lot of others have as well.
Researchers "Believe" because people like myself and many others paid tens of thousands of dollars for them to search all archives in most countries, and before me there were others and then there were people like myself that paid researchers and went to all the archives, to museums, to libraries, researched memoirs, logs and tales by themselves and again there are certain facts you cannot change you may wish you could change it but you cannot. As for the Bahamas you can work there legally if they open up to legal contracts far sooner than the BVI and the chances are far higher of recovery in the Bahamas than most of the Caribbean. Since you are stating no American can work in those countries well you must have a work permit to work in the BVI and a company and trade license for your own business and a permit from the Ministry to excavate legally - or you can act like a fool a dig around illegally on a trade vessel scraping for coins and dreams, your call. The bottom line is you are misinformed about where US citizens or people of other nations can or cannot work LEGALLY. Anyway good luck try not get caught if the urge is to great to resist. History is amazing why not save and share it for future generations legally so that all can benefit - good luck

MUD SLINGER, Since you have spent tens of thousands of dollars on Researchers and you have been to all the archives and have all this money, and the rest of us are just idiots or arm chair adventurers and we have never found anything.
Why don't you clue us in on what important wrecks you have discovered and salvaged with all of the Research and Knowledge that you have

Hope everyone had a nice Christmas/

 

[Thensaurus]

I do believe I started this thread looking for information on the legalities of working a wreck in the BVI's as I am not aware of their rules....

I am aware of the rules for the Bahamas and Cuba... NO GO!

You wrote, "The best bet for a permit is Bahamas or Cuba " which I replied is wrong it is not currently legal nor is travel to Cuba for US citizens. So that makes working there legally as mute as BVI or the Azores....

IF "they do" well since its Christmas you know that saying about if "ifs" and "buts" were gifts and nuts we'd all have a Merry Christmas. I've been waiting decades for Castro to die or legal travel changes to Cuba so in the mean time I'm looking elsewhere.

It doesn't matter how much coin you or anyone else has spent on research, the fact of the matter is that it takes someone or something in the water to verify a site/target.

I also don't recall saying anything about treasure let alone a gazillion dollar galleon.

I'm not sure what the last ramblings of your last post are, it's as if you made up your own idea just so you could refute it

Anyway, again thanks for the info on BVI!

 

[Mud Skipper]

Ive had a fantastic Christmas (name removed :see rules) thank you, and sorry my post tickled you, I never stated I found "gold" I merely stated the facts concerning myself and my efforts, also facts about the BVI, youre welcome! As for the lazy boy recliner, they may have some on special at the local shop around the corner from you. Now that you jabbed, and think you know so much, I wish you every success with your deep water wreck off Florida. I will stick to my opinion, I dont believe most expeditions need investors, dont break the law, do it legal. The BVI is beautiful you have no clue about the laws pertainig to salvage within its waters - if you do think otherwise I commend you sir, your privateer in Antigua (Fishers map) and fish and chips, your friends at Deep Blue etc.
Now back to the facts, my previous post stands! Dont break the law, dont believe everything you hear, and yes most armchair hunters on this forum spit dribble, the great thing about it, when I am older I hope I get a lazy boy, treasurenet and drinks and then you will see advice flow like Christmas day drinks!

 

[Jolly Mon]

I do believe I started this thread looking for information on the legalities of working a wreck in the BVI's as I am not aware of their rules....

I am aware of the rules for the Bahamas and Cuba... NO GO!

You wrote, "The best bet for a permit is Bahamas or Cuba " which I replied is wrong it is not currently legal nor is travel to Cuba for US citizens. So that makes working there legally as mute as BVI or the Azores....

IF "they do" well since its Christmas you know that saying about if "ifs" and "buts" were gifts and nuts we'd all have a Merry Christmas. I've been waiting decades for Castro to die or legal travel changes to Cuba so in the mean time I'm looking elsewhere.

It doesn't matter how much coin you or anyone else has spent on research, the fact of the matter is that it takes someone or something in the water to verify a site/target.

I also don't recall saying anything about treasure let alone a gazillion dollar galleon.

I'm not sure what the last ramblings of your last post are, it's as if you made up your own idea just so you could refute it

Anyway, again thanks for the info on BVI!

One of the nice things about Tnet is that when a self important A-Hole has identified himself you can add him to your ignore list.

 

[old man]

One of the nice things about Tnet is that when a self important A-Hole has identified himself you can add him to your ignore list.

How do put them on ignore

Thensaurus, Good Luck with your wreck in the BVI. I wish you Luck.
I still haven't seen our new shipwreck expert that has all the money he needs and spends tens of thousands of dollars on research. Tell us about any important wreck that he has found?

I guess he can talk the talk, but that's all. He apparently likes to post about wrecks that others may have found, but one of those others hasn't posted on here about it seems kind of strange to me.

I guess he has a grudge against someone.

Hope he had a Merry Christmas, but he seems to be lacking in Christmas Spirit when he calls the rest of us idiots and arm chair adventurers.

 

[Jolly Mon]

How do put them on ignore

Thensaurus, Good Luck with your wreck in the BVI. I wish you Luck.
I still haven't seen our new shipwreck expert that has all the money he needs and spends tens of thousands of dollars on research. Tell us about any important wreck that he has found?

I guess he can talk the talk, but that's all. He apparently likes to post about wrecks that others may have found, but one of those others hasn't posted on here about it seems kind of strange to me.

I guess he has a grudge against someone.

Hope he had a Merry Christmas, but he seems to be lacking in Christmas Spirit when he calls the rest of us idiots and arm chair adventurers.

To put someone on "ignore", just make sure you are logged in and then click on the member's name. Then click on "view profile". A list of actions will become visible below the member's avatar. One of them is "add to ignore list".

Incidentally, I don't think this creature is new to TNET. The nasty, superior attitude and problems with basic grammar and punctuation are characteristic of his writing style. I think he is hiding under an alias.

 

[Jolly Mon]

I am not going to wade into the legalities of underwater salvage in the BVI. However, I can find no evidence that the BVI has ratified the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. I am sure they have their own legislation which is complicated somewhat by being a British Overseas Territory. Anyway, here are a couple of interesting videos featuring Bert Kilbride. The first is a dive with Hugh Downs and Geraldo Rivera in which they find a cannon and galleon anchor, possibly from the San Ignacio. The second is a Good Morning America interview. The last link is Bert Kilbride's website.

OnlineBVI.net - Video Hosting for the British Virgin Islands** 20/20 TV show with Bert Kilbride and Sons

OnlineBVI.net - Video Hosting for the British Virgin Islands** Bert Kilbride on Good Morning America

Bert Kilbride - Legends or Lies - Last Pirate of the Caribbean

 

[Mud Skipper]

Ah the glory days...thanks for posting my friend!

I am not going to wade into the legalities of underwater salvage in the BVI. However, I can find no evidence that the BVI has ratified the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. I am sure they have their own legislation which is complicated somewhat by being a British Overseas Territory. Anyway, here are a couple of interesting videos featuring Bert Kilbride. The first is a dive with Hugh Downs and Geraldo Rivera in which they find a cannon and galleon anchor, possibly from the San Ignacio. The second is a Good Morning America interview. The last link is Bert Kilbride's website.

OnlineBVI.net - Video Hosting for the British Virgin Islands** 20/20 TV show with Bert Kilbride and Sons

OnlineBVI.net - Video Hosting for the British Virgin Islands** Bert Kilbride on Good Morning America

Bert Kilbride - Legends or Lies - Last Pirate of the Caribbean