11.1 Wreck removal in national law

This chapter will first consider wreck removal law in the UK as it developed for nearly 150 years before the UK decided to consider the adoption of the WRC 2007. Secondly, it will address the accession choices open to States that want to accede to the Convention and enact it in their national laws. Thirdly, it will consider the method that the UK has used to give effect to the Convention through the enactment of the Wreck Removal Convention Act (WRCA) 2011. As will be seen, much of the older legislation has been retained as a means of incorporating its structures into the functional scheme envisaged by the 2011 Act. Finally, consideration will be given to the practical problems presented by ships that are ‘abandoned’ without having been involved in a casualty.