Diver Christian Ekström opposes champagne giveaway

The local governments decision to give one bottle of the shipwreck champagne to local gambling company PAF last week did not go unnoticed. Diver Christian Ekström who brought the first champagne bottle to the surface and was the one to break the news to the world strongly opposes last weeks giveaway.

According to local newspaper Ålandstidningen Mr. Ekström believes that the use of the champagne as a marketing ploy for online gambling will ruin the attraction the champagne currently has achieved.

Furthermore, Mr. Ekström also brings up the question about a reward for the divers and why the divers have not received any kind of formal recognition for their discovery. According to Mr. Ekström a reward would be used to start a fund to support maritime archaeological activities in the Baltic Sea. The way the local government has acted will encourage divers not to report future findings, Mr. Ekström said.

Mrs Britt Lundberg, minister of cultural affairs, said that the local government does not believe that the ability for any lucky person to win a bottle of the world’s oldest champagne would in any way affect the auction price.

What do you think?

Source: Ålandstidningen 23 May 2011.