NABU Schleswig-Holstein | Symposium ''New Methods of Ammunition Removal in the North and Baltic Sea''

Schleswig-Holstein.NABU.de Natur vor Ort Meeressäuger Symposium Ammunition Removal

Symposium ''New Methods of Ammunition Removal in the North and Baltic Sea''

Results of the expert conference held in Kiel on 19 October 2007

Marine mammals such as harbour porpoises enjoy great popularity. However, people are usually unaware that human activity can pose a serious threat to these animals. The main reason for the continuous decrease in the North and Baltic Sea harbour porpoise population are the set nets of the fishing industry, where harbour porpoises get caught unintentionally.

Symposium programme: Please click on chart for download

Another threat is posed by ammunition explosions conducted in order to get rid of old ammunition components in the sea. According to estimates, between 400,000 and 1.3 million tons of old ammunition still lie in the German parts of the North and Baltic Sea. Their removal generally takes place by way of an explosion.

High sound pressure and explosion related shock waves can lead to severe injuries and hearing impairment for marine mammals. However, today there are new ways of removing Arsenalmunition which have partly been put to the practical test and which could help avoid massive damage to the marine environment. At the symposium, NABU, GSM and GRD brought together information about these new methods and discussed the conditions under which they might be used.

Symposium Programme - Theoretical Aspects

Lectures and Presentations

Corroded ground mine with disintegrating TNT

o Welcome and Introduction
Ingo Ludwichowski
NABU Schleswig-Holstein

o Old Ammunition in the North and Baltic Sea - An Overview
Dr Stefan Nehring
Aqua et Terra, Koblenz

o Conservation of the Marine Environment and Removal of old Ammunition - Aspects of Species Protection
Dr Stefan Bräger
German Oceanographic Museum Stralsund

o Marine Mammals and Noise - An underestimated Danger
Sven Koschinski
Marine Biologist, Nehmten

o Removal of conventional old Ammunition in the Sea - Risk Assessment for Heidkate Location
Axel Lüdders
Ministry of the Interior of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel

Helmut Preugschat
Executive Director of the Department for Desaster Management Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel

o A Question of Dilution? Toxicological Aspects of conventional and chemical Ammunition
Dr Hermann Kruse
Institute for Toxikology and Pharmacology at Christian-Albrecht-University Kiel

o Underwater Explosion - An incomplete Bombustion Process - Which critical Substances end up in the Sea?
Fritz Pfeiffer
Büro für Umweltgeologie & Sicherheitsforschung BfUS, Marburg

o Removal of chemical Ammunition - Legal Problems and possible Solutions
Dr Thomas Stock
Fa. Dynasafe Germany GmbH, Mülheim

Symposium Programme - practical Aspects

New Ideas and Methods in Practice

Harbour porpoise

o Alternative I: Salvage by freezing - Ammunition Removal in the Baltic Sea
Claus Mayer
N-Sea Divers, Ammersbek

o Alternative II: Into the Freeze Coffin - Ammunition Salvage "on the rocks"
Gunther Pfeiffer
International Free Bomb Squad, Gau-Odernheim

o Alternative III: "Beam it up" - Ammunition Removal using UV Light
Dr. Rainer Haas
Büro für Altlastenerkundung und Umweltforschung, Marburg

Gunther Pfeiffer
International Free Bomb Squad, Gau-Odernheim

o Alternative IV: "Soft" Blasting - the Use of Bubble Curtains for Noise and Pressure Reduction
Klaus Wreth
CompAir Drucklufttechnik, Lübeck

o Alternative V: Recovering hazardous Materials from a Marine Environment using Robotics
James Barton
Underwater Ordnance Recovery, Norfolk, USA

o Alternative VI: Handling and defusing Ammunition using Water Jet Cutting
Franz Eder
ANT Applied New Technologies AG, Lübeck

o Discussion and Results

Organizers and Participants

Organisations - who is who

Symposium organizers: Sven Koschinski und Ingo Ludwichowski (from left)

Symposium hosted by
Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU Schleswig-Holstein)
Färberstr. 51, 24534 Neumünster

Society for the Conservation of Marine Mammals GSM
Kieler Straße 2, 25451 Quickborn

Society for Dolphin Conservation Germany GRD,
Kornwegerstr. 37, 81375 München

Sponsors
Sponsored by BINGO! Environment Lottery

List of participants (pdf)

German version

Symposium ''Neue Methoden der Munitionsbeseitigung''

Schweinswale sind durch Munitionssprengungen bedroht. In deutschen Hoheitsgewässern lagern zwischen 400.000 und 1,3 Mio. Tonnen Altmunition. Neue Methoden zur Beseitigung von Arsenalmunition sind bekannt und in der Praxis erprobt, die eine Schädigung der Meeresumwelt vermeiden helfen. NABU, GRD und GSM stellen Ergebnisse ihres Symposiums 2007 vor. Mehr

Information about NABU ...

English Mainpage

NABU (NATURE AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION UNION) is one of the oldest and largest environment associations in Germany. The association encompasses about 450,000 members and sponsors, who commit themselves to the conservation of threatened habitats, flora and fauna, to climate protection and energy policy. Mehr