
Germany’s North and Baltic Seas are littered with munitions from the First and Second World Wars, such as shells — as shown here — once fired from German battleships. Photo Credit: Courtesy of SeaTerra
Environment GermanyWe’re Removing a War’s Worth of Weapons from the Sea
A significant cleanup effort is underway in the Baltic Sea to eventually remove more than 1.5 million tons of volatile munitions from the Second World War.
A pilot project has been launched in the Baltic port city of Lübeck and is set to remove 50 to 80 tons of munition, ultimately improving the seafloor and marine ecosytems. So far, the German government has funded 100 million for the project.
Due to a lack of disposal facilities, millions of weapons were dumped into the sea by all conflict parties throughout World War II. It is estimated that if all the weaponry currently decomposing at the bottom of the Baltic and North Seas were lined up, it would stretch from Paris to Moscow, or about 2,500 kilometres. The cleanup is of the utmost importance, as these weapons are posing a threat not only to marine life but also to human health. Over 400 people have lost their lives due to explosions from sunken weapons. Locals are even recommended to limit themselves to no more than two meals of local fish per week to reduce their exposure to heavy metals from contaminated fish.
Many once believed these weapons would remain untouched on the seafloor, continuing to pose health threats to humans and marine life. However, according to Tobias Goldschmidt, the region’s environment minister, Germany is completing a commendable task that “no other country in the world has ever attempted or achieved. “