论海难救助制度与水下文化遗产的保护——兼评《保护水下文化遗产公约》的相关规定

摘要

Salvage regime,a time-honored legal regime for marine transport activities,aims to encourage the salvage of ships or cargo in danger.With the increasing discovery of age-old shipwrecks,however,some companies are recovering them in the name of salvage and are claiming their rights or even ownership of the salved objects.These bits and pieces of ships and cargos which submerged hundreds of years ago have now become underwater cultural heritage of significant historic and archaeological value.This fact,as a result,has given rise to a heated argument among archaeologists and salvors over whether the financialbenefits-oriented maritime salvage regime can be applied in such circumstances.The 2001 Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage,specifies that no commercial recovering or exploring,except in exceptional cases,of underwater cultural heritage should be allowed.This constitutes a valuable reference for China's protection and management of its underwater cultural heritage.%海难救助制度是海上运输中一项古老的法律制度,旨在鼓励海上面临丧失危险的货物或船舶得到救助.不过,随着大量古老沉船沉物被发现,一些公司开始以“海难救助”的名义对这些沉船沉物进行打捞,并主张对打捞物享有请求权乃至所有权.考虑到这些沉没上百年的船舶和物品已经成为具有历史意义和考古价值的水下文化遗产,对其适用以经济价值为导向的海难救助制度是否妥当也成了考古学家和打捞者们一个争论不休的话题.2001年《保护水下文化遗产公约》明确拒绝对水下文化遗产进行商业性打捞和开发,但也规定例外情形.《公约》的这些规定对中国的水下文化遗产保护和管理具有积极的借鉴意义.