The U.S. government has opted to cease its legal opposition to an upcoming voyage to the Titanic shipwreck, following adjustments made by the company that holds the salvage rights to the vessel. Despite this, the U.S. mentioned in court documents last week that it could engage in legal disputes regarding future expeditions if they violate a federal law and an agreement with Great Britain to treat the wreck as a gravesite.
Last year, RMS Titanic Inc. sparked the litigation by revealing plans for an expedition, now set for mid-July. Originally, the Georgia-based company intended to capture images within the ship’s damaged hull and retrieve artifacts from its debris field. Additionally, RMST discussed the potential recovery of standalone objects from within the Titanic, including items from the room where distress signals were transmitted during the sinking.
In August, the U.S. initiated a legal challenge, contending that accessing or disturbing the Titanic is subject to regulation under a 2017 federal law and the agreement with Britain recognizing the site as a memorial to the individuals who perished in the 1912 disaster. Concerns included the potential disturbance of artifacts and potential human remains on the North Atlantic seabed.
RMST significantly reduced its dive plans in October after the tragic death of its underwater research director, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, in a submersible accident near the Titanic. As a result, the company announced in a February court filing that it would deploy an uncrewed submersible solely for external imaging purposes, without physical contact or artifact retrieval from the wreck.
The U.S. government decided to terminate its legal pursuit against the expedition due to RMST’s revised plans; however, it left open the possibility of future legal challenges based on the company’s broader objectives involving potential object retrievals from the wreck and surrounding debris field. Recognized as the custodian of the Titanic’s artifacts since 1994, RMST has recovered and preserved numerous items, attracting millions of visitors to its exhibits.
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith, who oversees Titanic salvage issues in Norfolk, Virginia, indicated concerns during a March court hearing about the legality and implications of the government’s case against RMST. While acknowledging Congress has the authority to amend maritime law, Smith questioned the potential stripping of courts’ admiralty jurisdiction regarding shipwrecks, which has long-standing legal precedent.
Smith previously granted RMST authorization in 2020 to retrieve and display the Titanic’s distress call radio, leading to the U.S. government’s legal challenge against the expedition. However, RMST postponed these plans indefinitely due to the pandemic. The judge remarked in March on the diminishing timeframe for Titanic expeditions as the ship continues to deteriorate.
