The Law of the RMS Titanic with Ole Varmer: To Preserve or Exploit
The legal battle over Titanic rages on even today.
On this episode, Peter Ravella and Tyler Buckingham are joined by Ole Varmer, the recently retired NOAA attorney who garnered the nickname and reputation as the governments "shipwreck guy" for specializing in the law governing the historic preservation and salvage of shipwrecks. On this show, we explore the particular case of the RMS Titanic, a wreck with such popular interest that it has caught the eye of the private sector for the salvage of elements of the ship and its debris. Ole played a leading role in the multi-lateral negotiation of the International Agreement on Titanic, implementing Guidelines, and legislation. We discuss the fascinating legal structures that govern activities on and under the high seas, and discuss what future the wreck of the Titanic and other culturally significant shipwrecks might hold.