The US Government is embroiled in a legal battle to halt the next expedition to the Titanic wreckage, but that doesn’t mean diving down to the iconic ship is off-limits. As long as individuals have the necessary resources, they can still obtain permits to explore the hull. However, only one company, RMS Titanic Inc., holds the exclusive rights to salvage items from the wreck. These rights were granted by the US District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, a renowned authority on shipwrecks and salvage, nearly three decades ago.
Despite this, the US Government is now attempting to exercise its right to veto upcoming expeditions by RMS Titanic. They aim to prevent the company from recovering items from the wreckage. Under the US-UK treaty enacted by Congress in 2017, any activity that physically alters or disturbs the wreck or wreck site of the RMS Titanic must be authorized by the Secretary of Commerce. The government argues that the expedition could disturb the wreckage, including human remains at the site.
RMS Titanic had initially planned to retrieve the historic Marconi wireless telegraph, which was used to send distress calls from the ship. This prompted a legal challenge from the government, but the trip was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the company has informed the court that they intend to proceed with the telegraph recovery and capture photographs of the ship’s interior using remote vehicles. The government remains concerned about potential disturbances to the site, as reported by AP News.
RMS Titanic assures that they will only take free-standing items that are not attached to the ship and will access the interior in areas where deterioration has created openings large enough for remotely operated vehicles to enter without compromising the structure. The company firmly believes that it has the right to continue salvage activities at the wreck site without seeking approval from any third parties, except for the US District Court with jurisdiction over the site.
This legal battle is expected to be a lengthy one, possibly even reaching the Supreme Court. The fate of future expeditions to the Titanic remains uncertain.
