| The shipwreck is the disqualification of a ship,loosing its floatability.This disqualification changes his status,and thus the regime applicable to it regarding maritime law.But despite that disqualification,the fact of being formerly a ship makes that the more likely to govern shipwreck's regime is the domestic law,and not really international law.The notion,and consequently the status of the shipwreck have known an evolution.The first part of the paper deals with that notion as it is treated by the different legislations.Apart from sunken ships,the notion of wreck includes also other objects fallen or found at sea,or on the shores.The legislation about maritime shipwrecks on French law is very rich,and is the result of a permanent evolving jurisprudence.Nowadays,the consideration of a shipwreck takes into account the value it may represent,financially,and also the archaeological,historic and cultural value;or the danger it can constitute while threatening navigation and the environment.All those characteristics are considered by the existing legislations.In international law the recent enactment of the Nairobi International Convention on Removal of Wrecks in 2007 shows the concern of the international community on issues of dangerous shipwrecks. French law based the qualification of a shipwreck around two cumulative criteria:the non-floatability and the abandonment by the crew.The second part deals with the status of the shipwreck.All parties involved in a shipwreck have their parts of rights and obligations,from the finder of the shipwreck,to the injunction power of the State, without forgetting the salvor and third parties.The obligations of the finder can change according to the kind of shipwreck,the power of the State has been increased regarding dangerous and archaeological shipwrecks.The regime of wreck removal also varies according to the nature of the shipwreck,and depending on its location in different maritime zones.
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