To All Treasure Hunters - Our Legal Rights are at Risk! WE NEED YOUR HELP!

My Comment (and it's not the only one).
Please note that your basic elimination of the private sector will only eliminate your ability to examine and receive the benefit of our finds. If you look at your own history you will find that your museum and archives are 99% provided by our sector....YOUR LOSS!
Aquanut
 

Well said Aquanut and I'm sure there are a lot of people that agree with you. But I'm afraid this is a done deal and the state is just going through the motions to pass these communist rules. If it dos pass, we will all be pirates!
 

SWR said:
Mixed feelings here.

On one hand, those protesting are also those who are selective about who can/cannot treasure hunt on Florida’s east coast. Why would the average coin shooter / metal detecting enthusiast concern themselves about commercial salvagers rights to “treasure hunt” when in fact they themselves are not even allowed to metal detect in the water.

I see this rift as a “save our income by scaring the common-Joe” tactic.

On the other hand, if somebody wanted to make it fair for everyone to get a piece of the action…that would be a worthy cause. Detectorist should be allowed to metal detect in the water, say up to 12 foot of the waterline. In addition, stipulated that items of historical interest be logged and/or turned into the State.
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SWR, you make a strong statement, but if the State passes this rule, you will not be able to recover anything in the water older than 50 years old anyway! No matter if its a lease area or not!

So it sounds to me like you should be in favor of preventing this from becoming a law!

I actually agree with you on letting detectorist go in the water (at least a few feet) on the lease sites. No boat can really come in that close to make recoveries there anyway.

They have taken away your rights on land and in the rivers, and are now trying to prevent shipwreck salvage in our oceans, how long do you think it will be before they take away the beaches?
 

RGecy said:
I actually agree with you on letting detectorist go in the water (at least a few feet) on the lease sites. No boat can really come in that close to make recoveries there anyway.
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Good thought, SWR. That would actually be a better addendum to the current laws. I wonder how much would be found if it were enacted?
 

I have sent in my opposition to this revision. In GA TH'ing is not allowed unless specific permission has been obtained, even in areas known to have placer deposits, or civil war encampments.

I want to keep this from being spread to other states.
Sandy
 

This is my contribution. I sent it off to the folks at the Florida Department of State. I'm gonna send it to others that may matter too. Hope it helps.

"I am in complete disagreement with this proposed legislation concerning rights of salvage and policies governing licensing. This is not a common sense approach to prevention of destruction of our national and international maritime history. If this is enacted much if not a vast majority of all items of historical significance will be lost to time through natural destruction, deteriation and/or looting. This will be due to the inability of any "governmental" entity, ie, academic institutions, to , in a timely fashion, thoroughly search, document, recover and preserve such artifacts and other historically significant items that cover a tremendous amount of ocean floor off the coast of Florida relative to any other location in the United States. Furthermore, what is not in the process of being salvaged by the government will be subject to inevitable looting by individuals with absolutely no intentions of notifying authorities or others that may have conservator interests for the benefit of the public.

When something of such monetary value due to precious metal or mineral value or historical significance is laying on the ocean floor within reach of anyone with a means, it will be scavenged and disappear. The harshest of rules and penalties will not stop this. This "loot" will be gone, likely forever with absolutely no chance of ever being presented to a museum or other public interest.

An example in the converse, Mel Fisher Enterprises has proven how a private entity has the ability to salvage, profit, and most importantly, contribute tremendously to the importance of preservation and presentation of our most valued history. Without Mel, his team and so many others like them, these things of such historical significance and importance may never be found or shared. It is well known that a treasure hunter doesn't just wake up one day and go discover a treasure. Painstaking research must be done before a search can even begin. Consider most treasure hunters as an extension of the archaeologist’s magnifying glass. That is how they should be treated instead of as looters and thieves as this law would imply if enacted. The only difference I see between an archaeologist and a treasure hunter is an archaeologist has interest in what he studies. The treasure hunter has passion for what he searches.

In England such actions were taken to prevent the disappearance of antiquities or treasure by would-be looters called the Treasure Act, 1996. It is a piece of legislation designed to deal with finds of treasure primarily those made by metal detectorists in England and Wales. It legally obliges finders of objects which constitute a legally defined term of treasure to report their find to their local designated official within fourteen days. An inquiry led by the official then determines whether the find constitutes treasure or not. If is declared to be treasure then the owner must offer the item for sale to a museum at a price set by an independent board of antiquities experts. Only if no museum expresses an interest in the item or is unable to purchase it can the owner retain it.

England has come to understand that it can’t control everyone all the time with rules and laws that punish. That is a very ineffectual way to govern.

I stand firm in my belief that more government regulation is not beneficial in the area of preservation of the worlds’ history. A compromise must be considered in eliciting individual salvors to come forward with finds so that all may benefit instead of outlawing it and creating unnecessary and damaging laws that prevent discovery and may ultimately lead to the loss of our history forever."

GJ
 

Mainland Europe most countries BAN or licence detectors, and even when there´s a licencing system only very few get given out . Rheinland Pfalz, where I live and most Americans are stationed, Has a population of about 4,000,000 and a size of about 20,000 sq. kilometres. Last year there where only 11 permits given for metal detecting (One of those went to a Luxembourg archeologist). Baden Wurtenburg didn´t give any at all, and it´s like that in the most of Germany. Rewards 3% to 5% in you´re lucky, and if they refuse to pay, it costs more in court and solicitor fee´s than you win.
That´s what happens when you don´t fight the Government. It´s the thin end of the wedge if they get that bill passed.
 

You know that I went all in on this one. Thanks to all of you who are supporting the efforts to stop the insanity. Florida residents; don't forget to let your Representatives in Tallahassee know your position on this, before they blindly vote to make it law.

Tom
 

Consider it done. I am glad someone cought this before it could pass undiscovered. I am sure that is what they planned. I am forwarding this information to all my fellow divers and treasure hunters. Florida is going to get an earfull. :thumbsup:
 

Message sent. Hope it helps.
 

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