Looting and destruction of underwater cultural and natural heritage

• In Event: Green Criminology and Justice: Perspectives on Protection, Punishment, and Rehabilitation

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to draw attention to the important problem of the failure to protect underwater cultural and natural heritage from looting and devastation. The oceans, seas, lakes and rivers conceal cultural treasures and, at the same time, are the natural environment for millions of living organisms, without which life on Earth would not be possible. Today, this underwater world is under threat from both criminal human activities and man-made changes such as climate change, pollution and overexploitation of ecosystems. Crime related to the aquatic environment has also been the subject of international cooperation between law enforcement agencies around the world for years. Both bilaterally and in the framework of international organisations like Interpol, state services take up the fight against international often organised criminal groups exploiting the underwater environment.

Authors

• Aleksandra Nowak, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn

• Wiesław Plywaczewski, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn