Underwater Cultural Heritage and Shipwreck Salvage and Removal: The Synergy of Legal Regimes

The article traces the peculiarities of the legal regimes of sunken ships as objects of Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH) in addition to those that have yet to acquire such a status due to the short period after sinking. The current UCH regime fails to comprehensively address issues of maritime environment protection. Furthermore, the dynamics of joining the Wreck Removal Convention 2007 require revitalizing states’ efforts to form a global regime for the removal of sunken ships, in addition to extending the scope of application of such a regime to the open sea and Area. The article examines the synergy of regimes of sunken vessels and notes the need for a global and coordinated approach to protecting the maritime environment, including shipwreck removal, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.