Australia must do more to prevent ‘looting and destruction’ of underwater heritage, report says

Government urged to ratify UN convention in order to protect undersea areas like shipwrecks and now-submerged First Nations heritage sites

The underwater world - from shipwrecks with human remains inside to First Nations sites that are tens of thousands of years old - needs better protection, a parliamentary committee has found.

Pirates have targeted second world war shipwrecks for scrap metal, looters have been trophy hunting in sunken boats and the bodies of drowned sailors have been disturbed in the process. Technological advancements mean Australia's underwater cultural heritage is more vulnerable than ever, the committee heard.