Germany to accelerate removal of WWII munitions from North and Baltic Seas

The German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUKN) estimates that approximately 1.6 million tons of explosive remnants from past wars lie on the seabed of the North and Baltic Seas. This hazardous legacy includes ammunition, grenades, mines, chemical warfare agents, and phosphorus bombs.

Historical disposal practices contributed to the current situation, as Allied forces frequently threw collected munitions directly overboard into the sea. To address this growing danger, the German government plans to accelerate the removal of these legacy materials by establishing a Federal Competence Center for Munition Recovery in Rostock.