Why illegal wreck salvage is hard to stop

How can the international community reduce the environmental harm caused by illegal explosive salvage of shipwrecks?

Stopping salvors requires money, surveillance, and a workable jurisdiction, all of which are complicated by disputed ownership and states that no longer exist.

In this account, enforcement is difficult because the sea is weakly governed and ownership may depend on flag states, territorial waters, and successor states. Some wrecks belonged to countries that no longer exist, while modern states may avoid claiming responsibility. Explosive recovery can release fuel oil and turn a heritage crime into a marine-pollution event. Enforcement remains costly even when the environmental case for intervention is clear.