World War Two bombs could harm sea creatures if blown up
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Unexploded bombs from World War Two found in British seas could seriously harm whales and dolphins if they are blown up, according to campaigners.
The explosive devices need to be destroyed and cleared to make way for wind farms.
Actress and activist Joanna Lumley has teamed up with marine conservation charities to call for a change in how they are dealt with, she thinks the devices should be burned out instead.
She says the 'blow it up' approach needs to change because the explosions could damage marine animal's hearing, injure them or even kill them.
Why do these bombs need to be blown up anyway?
Old bombs left over from wars can be a problem for lots of reasons as they can pose a tricky obstacle!
One of the latest areas where they are causing difficulties for is off shore wind farms.
A wind farm is a group of turbines in the same area which turn moving air into electricity.
There are lots around the coast of the UK and more are planned in order to produce green energy.
It is important to remove any unexploded bombs before building a new wind farm to make sure it is safe.
But blowing them up could be causing other damage.
In 2011, at the Kyle of Durness in Scotland, 39 long-finned pilot whales entered the bay at high tide and became stranded, with 19 eventually dying.
A Government report found that nearby bomb disposal operations in the days leading up this tragedy were "the only external event with the potential to cause" the whale strandings.
Old unexploded bombs can cause problems when windfarms are being built
There are about 100,000 tonnes of explosives left in Britain's seas, with some them weighing up to half a tonne.
Marine Connection co-founder Liz Sandeman says she understands the need for the bombs to be destroyed but is asking for energy companies to consider other methods of disposing of them.
The concern is, detonating 500kg explosives has far more serious consequences that cannot be fully mitigated, including auditory damage to marine mammals. For whales and dolphins, the conventional ammunition removal by blasting is a particular hazard as it can cause severe physical injury, hearing loss or death, either direct or indirect from the initial blast wave.
Joanna and the charities she has teamed up with have launched a campaign called 'Stop Sea Blasts' in the hope people will take notice and other methods that won't harm the sea life will be explored and used.
What does the government say?
A government spokesperson said: "We recognise the impact that underwater noise from clearing unexploded ordnance can have on vulnerable marine species.
"We are working closely with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), nature conservation bodies and marine industries to reduce underwater noise but must ensure any clearance method used is both safe and effective."
Scientific testing is still ongoing and the MMO is expected to consider the evidence when it is available.
- Published5 August 2019
- Published11 October 2020
