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Shipwreck Scavenging

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Friedland R | 10:19 Tue 23rd Jan 2007 | Current Affairs
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A salvage group has condemned people taking items of wreckage such as barrels of wine, beauty products and even motorbikes off the beach near where the MSC Napoli is stranded offshore in Devon.
About 200 of the ship's containers have gone into the sea so more are likely to wash up on shore.

What do you think of scavenging of people's belongings and other items washed up on the beach from the shipwreck?
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I'd take a pragmatic approach. The police seem to think it's not exactly illegal. Someone going to make a killing out of the situation so it may as well be me. Of course If it were my stuff I would have a different approach.
I suppose someone's going to play the race card and say when white people do it its scavenging and when black people do it its looting.
Branscombe beach illustrates what a messed up society we live in. Unashamed theft, police stood by letting it happen, legal "experts" poncing on about this and that, and the media turning it into a circus. Still it takes our minds of much more important issues such as Big Brother and the Beckhams.
Greed Greed Greed - it seems to make this world go around
Friedland - I find the coverage nauseating & embarrasing.
"Of course If it were my stuff I would have a different approach "
Think yourself lucky it isn't "your stuff " then .
It's disgusting . Some poor woman on the news tonight had a container on that ship with all her personal belongings in it which was in transit on the way to her new home in South Africa.But it's washed up and has been looted .Her whole life in a container .....now God knows where .......already on EBay probably .
These looters have no regard for the environment and the wild life in the area and no regard for other peoples property.. ..they are like a lot of scavengers on a muck heap . And you can bet your bottom dollar it wasn't local people doing all the looting.
People who live in coastal areas have more respect for the sea and the damage it can do and would be more likely to try and help in an emergency like that than take what doesn't belong to them..

If society were to break down you can just imagine what would happen .....this is just a taste of it .
''i will not contribute my thoughts to this corporate question''
This has been debated elsewhere, and my position has been stated -

taking items washed up on shore is 'salvage' if you fill in the appropriate form, and be ready to return the goods to their legal owner in return for the agreed salvage payment to you, as laid down by jurisdicition.

Taking them without is theft.

It's that simple.
naz

You missed the one above!!
andy is right ~ by putting the goods on ebay straight away, these people are breaking the law.

Weren't they supposed to wait at least 21 days before trying to dispose of the items?
"People who live in coastal areas have more respect for the sea and the damage it can do and would be more likely to try and help in an emergency like that than take what doesn't belong to them.. "

What rubbish I live on the Cornish coast and can assure you it's the locals who take first pick we often have the odd container or lost loads from ships. if you look closely at sheds and wooden buildings in west Cornwall you will see a Lott are built out of mahogany planks thousands of which fell off a ship a few years back. The locals in Devon are only moaning because its less for them
I remember the ancient tale about a shipwreck on the Cornish coast ~ a very distinguished lady was one of the 'survivors' of the wreck and in though in a rather delirious state was relieved to see some local good samaritans coming to help her...

While some looted the treasures, others ripped off her necklaces and resorted to cutting off her fingers for her rings. They left her (and others) for dead.

Local authorities knew who had done it ~ and so did the other locals..but nobody ever told.
I will not contribute my thoughts to this corporate / sponsored question.

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