The Kingdom of Spain seized, earlier today and under threat of force, the Odyssey Marine Exploration research vessel, Ocean Alert, in international waters. The ship was ordered to sail to the Spanish port of Algeciras to undergo a Spanish government search and inspection.
Odyssey Marine (NASDAQ: OMEX) issued a press release earlier today that details the events leading up to the interdiction of the vessel.
The complete text of the press release may be found at: http://shipwreck.net/pr140.html
Last week Spain’s Culture Minister admitted that Odyssey Marine’s recent find of an estimated half-billion US Dollars in sunken treasure, consisting of gold and silver coins, was likely discovered in international waters. That admission has not kept Spain from continuing to use the issue as an international political football.
Gibfocus, (http://www.gibfocus.gi/details_todaysnews.php?id=2559), a Gibralter-centric news and opinion site today, June 9, 2007, quoted a Spanish Opposition leader, Mr Bossano, at length in the referenced article. Among the many points Mr. Bossano made was that the treasure was not found in Spanish territorial waters and therefore Spain was using the Odyssey Marine situation to obfuscate other political issues concerning, Spain, Gibralter and the UK.