Speaking without great familiarity with the issue, I believe that the
world association of Maritime Museums has condemned the pilfering of
the Titanic site. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic here in Halifax
has refused to accept the exhibit of artifacts which circulated
recently, or any other public display stemming from these disruptive
activities, despite the fact that Halifax has an intimate association
with the Titanic disaster (many of the survivors were brought to
Halifax and not a few unclaimed bodies are buried here). It has been
interesting to see no concern on the Histarch listserver for the
ethics of this recent venture until the latest note from Iain Stuart
in Australia.
Rob Ferguson
Canadian Heritage, Halifax