Old World War II munitions pollute German coastal waters in the North Sea. Their disposal is dangerous for both humans and the environment. Hundreds of thousands of aerial mines, bombs, shells and unexploded ordnance are buried in Germany's coastal waters. Between 1945 and 1948, a huge amount of these weapons was dumped in to the sea under the supervision of the British occupying forces. For decades, these dump sites bothered nobody but now things are changing and the buried ammunition is slowing down the construction of offshore wind farms.
Controlled detonations have a huge impact on marine life. When ammunition is detonated during the rearing season it may cause mother seals to abandon their young. Controlled detonations can rupture the lungs and eardrums of seals within a radius of up to four kilometers. Even at a distance of 10 kilometers explosions can damage sea mammals' ears.
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