Protection of underwater history urged

Sunken historic vessels, ravaged by commercial trawling, should be given the same level of protection as threatened marine ecosystems, British researchers say. Industrial trawling, capable of destroying fragile underwater heritage wrecks, is occurring on a scale that is creating an archaeological catastrophe, they said. A marine conservancy group, Wreck Watch International, is urging the creation of national "red lists" for shipwrecks of major international importance similar to those created by the International Council of Museums for cultural objects, The Independent reported Monday. "Thousands of shipwrecks worldwide lie in the path of fishing trawlers, but governments are failing to find even small change to require the damaging effects of a multibillion-dollar industry to be monitored," the group's Sean Kingsley said. "Compared to marine ecosystems, from kelp to sharks, archaeology cuts an isolated figure in marine science. For a hugely romantic and adventurous field we are failing to get the message across that the sunken past matters." Barrie Deas of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organizations said modern global positioning system technology and improvements in chart plotting meant fishermen were able to avoid wrecks more easily than ever before. It is in their interests to do so because they are a danger to their gear and crew, he said. "Protecting shipwrecks for historical and aesthetic reasons is a concern shared in the fishing industry as well."