May 28th, 2014 by Piper Smith
The Abandoned Shipwrecks Act is an American law that was passed in 1988. It aimed at protecting historic shipwrecks from treasure seekers and salvors by transferring the title of the wreck to the entity whose waters it lies in. It was passed in response to the severe damage to about 3,000 historic wrecks in the Great Lakes and other areas of the oceanic coast. Many sites had been looted and some had been completely destroyed. Sorry wreckers, “No wrecking for you!”
Picture Caption: President Ronald Reagan – He signed this bill into law.
