is an official under Admiralty Jurisdiction. Role of the Receiver of Wreck The main task of the Receiver of Wreck is to process reports of wreck, in the interest of both finder and owner. This involves researching ownership and working with the finder, owner, archaeologists, museums, and other interested parties. The process of reporting wreck provides legal owners the opportunity to be reunited with their property and to ensure that law-abiding finders of wreck receive appropriate recognition in the form of a salvage award. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency administers Section 2 of the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, which protects wrecks that are deemed dangerous by virtue of their contents. There is a strict no entry policy. This is in the interest of safety of both divers and members of the public. Two wrecks are protected under Section 2 of the Act: the SS Richard Montgomery and the SS Castilian, which are both from the Second World War and contain dangerous quantities of explosives. The Receiver of Wreck also undertakes the task of disposing of "royal fish" in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. "Royal fish" are dead whales, dolphins, porpoises and sturgeon. This is an ancient right dating back to Edward II's reign which falls under the royal prerogative. What is wreck? The Receiver of Wreck's remit is set down in the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, Part IX, Chapters 1-2. It covers wreck from UK territorial waters (within 12 nautical miles), and wreck landed in the UK from outside UK territorial waters. Wreck material includes any part of a vessel, aircraft or hovercraft including any of its cargo or equipment. According to section 255 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, wreck includes "jetsam, flotsam, lagan or derelict". The Act does not define these terms, but they may be understood as follows: Flotsam are goods lost from a ship which has sunk or otherwise perished which are recoverable because they have floated. Jetsam are goods cast overboard (jettisoned) in order to lighten a vessel which is in danger of sinking, even if they ultimately perish. Derelict is property which has been abandoned and deserted at sea by those who were in charge without any hope of recovering it. This includes vessels and cargo. Lagan (or ligan) are goods cast overboard from a ship, buoyed so that they can be recovered later. Boats that have come off their moorings are not