Why is there a need for an international convention on underwater cultural heritage?
There are three principal reasons: 1. To obtain comprehensive protection for underwater cultural heritage wherever it is located: The legal protection of submerged archaeological sites is currently insufficiently regulated, in particular when they lie in international waters. According to international law, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other treaties, only a small part of the world’s oceans, adjacent to national territories – the Territorial Sea – falls within exclusive national jurisdiction. In most maritime zones, State authority is very limited. On the “High Sea”, only the State of nationality has jurisdiction over vessels and nationals. States can therefore not prohibit vessels of other States from intervening on sites located in international waters, as these do not fall under their authority. Only the State to which a treasure hunter belongs, can prohibit him to dive to a wreck in international waters, no matter how culturally valuable
