How can they designated a site when no one knew or even seemed to care where some of these veessels where?
I don't know about these things & I'm not saying you're right or wrong, matter of fact I tend to believe you're right but it's not the least bit logicial but then when it comes to nations & their reasonings not much is.
Spain claims a wreck in international waters. It has never done research to find it. Were England ever at war? We know? Were we ever at war with England or Spain? We know that too. Vessels captured at sea & at war cannot be claimed by the loser, right? A letter of mark issued against a nation is license to plumder, except if it sinks? If it stayed afloat it would've vanished into the coffers of whosoever took her, no? A private vessel ends up beached on the sand, if the owner makes no attempt to stay with her or to save her & the leaves her the vessel is abandoned & salvage rights goes to who ever trys to rescue her, no? If a sub goes down in international waters there is a race by nations to get to her before the military that owns her arrives, for salvage???
When a plane goes down in any terrority, land or sea, is it considered a "war grave"?

I agree, EBarnacle, a thorough reveiw of International Admiraly Laws needes to be updated from the 17th century & brought into the present.

I would think that the HMS Edinburgh claims & how that was worked out seems to be more in line with what's fair & just. Though I don't really see that either England nor Russia would have near as much claim as the salvagers. If so then these nations that want to be reimbursed should then either take on these salvage missions themselves of else partly fund the salvagers, call it R&D, if they want money back. Whereas nationals treasures may changes some of the ground work.
So who gets the pirate booty, who ever the pirate stole it from? Prove it!

Why then bother to notify any athority that a find has been made if it's goona get taken. That would the discourage any one from looking, no? And don'y we all want these finds to be found?

Barry