Transport committee  If you wish, Madam.

Transport committee  We most certainly do have specific numbers. There are indeed wrecks of nine Canadian warships in Canadian territorial waters and wrecks of 10 Canadian flag merchant ships in Canadian territorial waters. At the moment, no legislation regulates the access of persons with ill intent to take souvenirs from these ships.

Transport committee  Thank you, Madam.

Transport committee  I don't think so.

Transport committee  No. I would much prefer that there be separate legislation to apply to state vessels, because warships are exempt under international maritime law, no matter which UN convention you look at, which means that the state has to have its own legislation respecting the behaviour of persons on the warship and the behaviour of the warship itself.

Transport committee  Okay.

Transport committee  Well, I did mention in my presentation the relevant section of the email that was sent to me by MP McCrimmon's office, and I don't think there is anything preventing me from distributing that.

Transport committee  Yes.

Transport committee  I know of only one person—and unfortunately I have agreed not to name him—who showed me a skull that he had taken from a Canadian ship, and that he displays on the mantelpiece in his house and shows to all his friends.

Transport committee  Well, so will I, every time I see it.

Transport committee  I think we should just let nature take its course. Nature has been taking its course for three-quarters of a century and we're far too late to do anything about it. We may have enough to do with the consequences of not having done anything for the last three-quarters of a century.

Transport committee  I don't think there are large quantities, no. I am concerned about a depth charge floating to the surface at the same time as a fully loaded tanker reaches the same spot. I wouldn't want to be close by in the following explosion.

Transport committee  Yes.

Transport committee  Yes. Well, this is a highly controversial subject, because you have the commercial interests on the one side and the military interests on the other side. I did cite one case where the descendants of those who were lost in a merchant ship were successful in getting it classified as being roughly comparable to a warship, but it would have to be on a case-by-case basis—and very lengthy and very expensive.

Transport committee  That would be sufficient only so far as merchant ships are concerned, because the Canada Shipping Act does not apply to warships.