Exotic Governmental/Legal Systems

[Kax]

Originally Posted by RogerBW

The specific distinction, which is still technically present in maritime law, is that jetsam (which may but need not be floating) is still the property of its original owner, while flotsam (which must be floating) may be claimed by the finder. (There's obviously a third category, material lost overboard that is not floating. "Lagan" refers to this when there's a buoy attached to it, which serves as a claim. Otherwise it counts as derelict, and without hope of recovery, because the law predates diving.)

(I suspect that somewhere in the back of this is an incentive to let captains cut cargo loose when a ship is in danger of foundering.)

IIRC it's to deal with smugglers throwing their illicit cargo overboard and claiming that they 'don't own it now'.