s 149 Power to pass over adjoining lands
149.—(1) Whenever a ship is wrecked, stranded or in distress as aforesaid, all persons may, for the purpose of rendering assistance to the ship, or of saving the lives of the shipwrecked persons, or of saving the cargo or apparel of the ship, unless there is some public road equally convenient, pass and repass, over any adjoining lands without being subject to interruption by the owner or occupier, so that they do as little damage as possible, and may also on the like condition, deposit on those lands any cargo or other article recovered from the ship. (2) Any damage sustained by an owner or occupier in consequence of the exercise of the rights given by this section is to be a charge on the ship, cargo or articles, in respect of or by which the damage is occasioned, and the amount payable in respect of the damage is to, in case of dispute, be determined and is, in default of payment, recoverable in the same manner as the amount of salvage is under this Part determined or recoverable. (3) Any owner or occupier of any land who —(a) impedes or hinders any person in the exercise of the rights given by this section by locking the owner or occupier’s gates, or refusing upon request to open the same, or otherwise; (b) impedes or hinders the deposit of any cargo or other article recovered from the ship as aforesaid on the land; or (c) prevents or endeavours to prevent any such cargo or other article from remaining deposited on the land for a reasonable time until the cargo or article can be removed to a safe place of public deposit, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.