The province said a 2010 law change would ‘preserve and protect’ underwater heritage resources. Many in the industry say it’s had the opposite effect
HALIFAX — Beneath the choppy waves off Nova Scotia’s rugged coast are thousands of shipwreck sites sprinkled with lost treasure: centuries-old coins, canons, and perhaps even historic booty stolen from the White House.
For decades, underwater archeologists from across the globe would come to Nova Scotia to comb suspected shipwreck sites after being granted government-issued Treasure Trove licences. MacKinnon, who has not hunted for treasure since the act was repealed, said there’s nothing stopping treasure salvagers from illegally diving because there is no incentive to report any findings and no effective way of policing offshore underwater sites.“By having the province verify what we had, that’s what made it worth your while,” he said.
James Sinclair, a U.S. marine archaeologist who worked with famous treasure hunter Mel Fisher, said underwater sites are particularly vulnerable because the ocean environment is ever-changing and shipwreck sites can continue to be spread over a large area. MacLeod said the province is “planning to review the Special Places Protection Act as part of Nova Scotia’s Culture Action Plan, including reviewing underwater archaeology.”
Meanwhile, treasure hunting is being carried out with great fanfare on Nova Scotia’s south shore on Oak Island, the subject of a popular History channel television show, “The Curse of Oak Island.”
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