Fight against Baltic Sea ammunition: Joint plans for salvage!

Fight against Baltic Sea ammunition: Joint plans for salvage!

There is a legacy in the Baltic Sea that cannot be ignored: Over 1.6 million tons of conventional war munitions are rusting there and pose a potential risk to people and nature. Economics Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen (CDU) has now made proposals to systematically address the challenges arising from these legacy munitions. His idea: a competence center that would be created in cooperation between Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The goal: to bring science, the private sector and government institutions together in order to efficiently recover the dangerous remains. According to Welt, the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD created a framework that focuses on the recovery of marine ammunition.

Madsen emphasizes the importance of using existing structures to avoid duplication of effort. He plans to set up a cross-state working group to coordinate the various approaches of the federal states. A network for dealing with marine ammunition was already established in Schleswig-Holstein in 2024.

The dangers of old ammunition

But what actually happens to the old ammunition on the seabed? Scientists warn about the dangers of harmful substances that can enter the water from corroded ammunition. The director of the Kiel Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research, Katja Matthes, particularly emphasizes that 3,000 kilograms of toxic chemicals have already been released into the waters of the Baltic Sea. These substances have accumulated in mussels and fish. No health risks to humans have yet been proven, but the situation remains tense.NN describes that the chemical residues are spreading through the food chain and could pose serious risks in the long term.

The Kolberg Heath, an area known for dumping ammunition, is regularly examined. According to geologist Jens Greinert, the entire German Baltic Sea could be free of ammunition by 2040 if financial resources are sufficient. But for the time being, the German Baltic Sea waters remain heavily polluted, which is seen as a major challenge for the coming years.

Current developments and future projects

The latest reports show that the recovery of historical ammunition in the Bay of Lübeck began as early as September 2023. These pilot projects are intended to gain valuable insights for systematic recovery. Further test clearances are also planned off the coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. At this point, progress is more than desirable because time is short. Ammunition that has sat in the water for more than 80 years is oxidizing and could soon pose an even greater threat.

In a comprehensive approach, a joint project supported by GEOMAR is also investigating the exact locations and condition of these contaminated sites. New technologies should help to identify the underwater debris more precisely.[Nationalpark-ostsee.de/2025/03/22/idw-munitionsaltlasten-in-der-ostsee-expedition-al628-untersucht-verdachtsflaechen-in-deutschen-und-daenischen-gewaessern/) is involved in three important expeditions that serve to get a better picture about the dangers of old ammunition dumps.

Overall, it remains to be seen how quickly and effectively the measures to recover and dispose of ammunition in the Baltic Sea will get underway. It is up to politicians to do justice to citizens and, above all, the environment and to find sustainable solutions so that the Baltic Sea not only remains a beautiful holiday destination, but also a safe place to live.