​Cultural Heritage Protection Bill has been passed.

The bill provides the legal framework to protect the country’s cultural heritage artifacts whether on land or sea. This is the first time in the nation’s history a bill of this nature has been established and passed.

Before this bill, only the Dockyard area was protected.

The Minister responsible for Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Trade Immigration &    Minister with responsibility for National Parks EP Chet Greene threw his support behind the bill.

He further highlighted the benefits of such an act.

“Around our country, there is an excess of around 250 shipwrecks. Those by themselves will create employment and add to our educational product. This bill has the ability to create jobs, increase and encourage research and certainly will impact our tourism sector,” Greene stated.

The National Parks Authority will now play a role of the Competent National Authority.

This means the group has the power and is tasked with establishing a Cultural Heritage Unit to ensure the effective control, protection, conservation, presentation and management of cultural heritage.

For any person who wants to search, investigate, displace or remove any archaeological item, they must first get permission to do so by the National Parks.

Anyone who finds any archaeological item must first inform the National Parks.

“We have to find a way of dealing with these issues of persons going to our protected sites with their metal detectors and taking away finds as they would call them,” Greene said.

The bill also makes provisions for the seizure of cultural heritage as well.

“I am happy that this bill makes it very clear who owns what when persons find artifacts. Perhaps we never had that understanding and appreciation in the past, but I am happy now that we have this law…It is a very timely and necessary bill,” Matthew said.

The provisions for the acquisition of land for archaeological purposes was also a welcomed avenue by Matthew, along with the seizure of these finds especially if stolen or trafficked overseas.

He suggested that the Sugar Mills should be put on the list of historical buildings and sites that should be protected under this bill.

A person who undertakes any research, activity or recovery directed at cultural heritage of an archaeological character, including underwater cultural heritage, without a valid permit; damages or destroys cultural heritage; exports any cultural heritage without a valid export certificate; alienates cultural heritage, which is under consideration for public acquisition or has been publicly acquired; imports cultural heritage in a manner prohibited in section 20; commits an offence and is liable upon conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding $100,000.00 or to imprisonment for a term  not exceeding 5 years or to both such fine and  imprisonment.

A person, who by hiding, falsifying or refusing factual information or by violent action steals, damages, destroys, exports or unlawfully recovers cultural heritage or opposes any actions of the Competent National Authority in an unlawful manner commits an offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding $ 100,000.00 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both a fine and imprisonment.

Because of the intricate details in this bill, Greene is adamant a public education awareness campaign must be undertaken.