Already 44 reports of finds in the North Sea since the introduction of the law
Since 2014, all finds in territorial waters must be reported to the governor. He registers the finds and draws up a research report on the find. To this end, there is collaboration with the Agency for Immovable Heritage and the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ).
One report last year
“Since the introduction of the law, it appears that a lot of finds were registered in 2014 and 2017. In recent years, the number of registrations has fallen sharply and last year there was only one report,” says provincial councilor Kurt Himpe.
“It concerns a horn of about 30 centimeters that was fished up off the coast of Zeebrugge. The find has been passed on to the Royal Institute of Natural Sciences of Belgium for further research.” Archaeological finds on the beach should not be reported to the governor, but to the Immovable Heritage Agency.
“Reporting finds is very important”
The low reporting figures do raise questions for provincial councilor Kurt Himpe.
“Finds are all discoveries of traces of human presence of a cultural, historical or archaeological character that are under water. Reporting a find does not mean that the find must also have been brought to the surface, because an authorization from the governor is required for this. A diver who notices an object suspected of being heritage in the vicinity of a dive site must report it. Reporting finds is very important in order to recognize and protect the heritage and hopefully finds will not slip through the cracks,” says provincial councilor Kurt Himpe. “It therefore seems useful to me to also clearly communicate the legislation.”
Early finds
Before the introduction of the law in 2014, many finds were already registered.
“It concerns, for example, a Roman amphora that was fished up in 1965 and a sternum vertebra of a mammoth that was dredged up in the harbor channel of Zeebrugge. Other objects that divers could find are parts of aircraft or wrecks, pottery fragments or flint tools,” concludes Himpe.