Overview
- The Bundeskompetenzzentrum Munitionsbergung in Rostock has started work with an Aufbau‑stab, and Minister Carsten Schneider visited the site on Thursday to review setup progress.
- Officials say up to 1.6 million tonnes of conventional wartime munitions lie on the German North Sea and Baltic seabeds, with much dumped after World War II and some items still fitted with fuzes.
- The federal government has launched a €100 million emergency programme to speed planning and research and has folded munitions recovery into a wider 'Aktionsplan Meer' on sea protection.
- The ministry plans a floating industrial platform to process and dispose of recovered ordnance, with construction due to begin in mid‑2028 and operations expected by the end of 2028.
- Scientists report corroding munitions are releasing TNT and related compounds that have been found in local fish and shellfish and are linked to tumors, creating long‑term cleanup needs and potential risks for fisheries and the food chain.