The Atocha Shipwreck and Salvage Laws, Pt. Not only did Mel Fisher have to challenge the sea to find the Atocha, he had to battle the Florida state and the Federal governments over the question of ownership of the Atocha's treasure.
Treasure hunting is a very expensive proposition.
The persons willing to risk their savings to search for treasure should be rewarded by their success. On the other hand, lost treasures represent historical and cultural resources in which the general public, represented by their governments, have a stake. Historical artifacts should be available to the public for viewing and research. But governments are most unlikely to invest the funds necessary to find and recover lost treasure and cultural artifacts. The recovery of the Atocha's artifacts in a controlled archaeological manner by treasure salvors put to rest the question of whether non-professionals could be used in archaeological underwater research.