The “Convention area”, or the area where the
Convention applies, is defined as the exclusive
economic zone of a State Party. The territorial sea,
where national law applies, is excluded. However
article 3(2) provides that a State Party may “extend the
application of this Convention to wrecks located within
its territory, including the territorial sea”, if they so wish.
The definition of “wreck”, following a maritime casualty,
includes a ship, or any part of a ship, or object that
has been on board a ship but has become detached,
such as for instance cargo, that as a consequence
of a maritime casualty may be sunken or stranded
or adrift.22 In addition, a ship “that is about or may
reasonably be expected, to sink or strand, where
effective measures23 to assist the ship or any property
in danger are not already being taken”, is also included
in the definition. A “maritime casualty” is widely defined
as “a collision of ships, stranding or other incident of
navigation or other occurrence on board a ship or
external to it, resulting in material damage or imminent
threat of material damage to a ship or its cargo”.24