German Armed Forces: 18 harbor porpoises dead after demolition in the Baltic Sea

More than 40 ships and 3,000 soldiers from 18 countries took part in the Northern Coasts Nato exercise in September this year. In the run-up should be eliminated, what is left over from the time when Germany and the rest of the world were still enemies: 42 British sea mines from the First World War.

On August 29, the type MK 1-7 ground mines in the Baltic Sea were blown up. 39 of them were located at the bottom of the Fehmarnbelt, marine protection zone and one of the three most important porpoise areas in Germany. For years, most mother-veal pairs of porpoises in the German Baltic Sea have been spotted here. Eighteen of the mammals were found dead in the weeks following the mine blasting, the Nature Conservation Union (Nabu) writes on its website.

It is not yet clear what the animals died from. The cause of death is among other things examined at the university in Hanover, can be read at the NDR, which had first reported on the case.

"There is probably a connection, but it is certainly not," said a marine spokesman on Saturday the SPIEGEL.

Up to 30 meters destructive radius

However, it has been proven that one of the mines tore a crater about five meters wide and 1.5 meters deep into the sheltered reef. Around 10 to 30 meters around the crater, all marine life was destroyed. Thus it writes the Federal Government in its answer to a small request of the Greens on the subject (BT printed matter 19/13878). Transferred to 39 blasts result in the one area of ​​27 football fields, calculates one of the questioners, the Bundestag Deputy Steffi Lemke, on its website.

The nature conservation association accuses the Bundeswehr of breaking law. According to the Federal Nature Conservation Act, the federal government and the federal states must inform the nature conservation authorities about measures that may affect nature conservation. In addition, an impact assessment must be carried out before such blasting and damage mitigation coordinated with the responsible nature conservation authorities.

DPA

"All marine life destroyed": Baltic porpoise off Denmark

According to the German government, the "best available technology" for protecting animals and "best environmental practice" is bubble blistering. Compressed air hoses are placed around the evacuation point, the resulting rising air creates a noise barrier under water to protect hearing-sensitive marine mammals. However, the installation would have been too dangerous in view of the unstable explosive devices, said the Navy spokesman. Investigations have shown that the explosives in the mines had long since crystallized. That makes the mines especially dangerous.

A transfer of the mines in shallow waters would therefore have been impossible, they say. The provisions of the Federal Armed Forces to protect species including Vergrämungsmaßnahmen had been respected, said the spokesman.

Nabu criticizes "complete failure of politics"

For Nabu boss Leif Miller, the incident in the Fehmarnbelt nonetheless shows that the navy ignores existing nature conservation laws and has inadequate environmental standards. He stands as an example for "the complete failure of the policy in dealing with the problem of wartime legacy," can be read on the Nabu website.

Brisant is also the time of the blasts in late summer. "In the reproductive period, which is sensitive for the reproduction of porpoises," as the Federal Government's response states. She defends the timing of the blast with the auspicious opportunity. "By the presence of the NATO Mine Defense Association in the relevant sea area was the targeted detonation the immediate opportunity to ward off danger to life and limb."

According to information from the navy, the Nato Mine Defense Association is in the area but almost in continuous use. This is also necessary, because in Germany alone 1.6 million tons of conventional and 300,000 tons of chemical weapons are to be stored in the Baltic Sea and North Sea. The Green request also indicates that the ammunition had already been discovered in 2016.

Not least because of the Nabu criticized the lack of involvement of nature conservation authorities as a violation of the Federal Nature Conservation Act.