Wreck meaning

In maritime practice, wreck describes ship, cargo or other property from a vessel that is lost, stranded, sunk, beached or washed ashore, whether afloat, on or under the seabed, or on the foreshore. In the UK it is defined in the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 (and in Ireland in the Merchant Shipping (Salvage and Wreck) Act 1993 and related legislation) to include flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict. Key legal features include: a duty on finders, harbour authorities and others to report and deliver wreck to the Receiver of Wreck; potential criminal liability for concealment, non‑delivery or unauthorised disposal; and potential entitlement to a salvage reward where recovery constitutes a salvage service. Ownership ordinarily remains with the original owner unless and until title is lawfully divested; unclaimed wreck after statutory periods generally vests in the Crown (UK) or in the State (Ireland). Usage and effect are broadly consistent across England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland under the UK‑wide regime; Scots property law does not displace the statutory scheme. The term is distinct from protected wreck under heritage legislation, which concerns designated historic sites rather than the proprietary and salvage treatment of recovered maritime property.