Four Scottish Fishermen were hospitalised this week after phosphorus based munitions they had hauled on board ignited and flooded the boat with toxic fumes.
The bat had been fishing in the Beaufort Dyke area and the incident once again highlights the dangers of the sea dump which straddles a vast sea area and contains a staggering I million tonnes of munitions (link):
Celtic League first researched dumping at the Dyke almost forty years ago but t was only after some fifteen years of campaigning that the MOD owned up to the enormity of the Dyke contents.
Both explosive and chemical munitions are dumped there and also commercial waste included some radioactive waste.
Periodically munitions wash ashore on Irish Sea beaches and coastguards warn about approaching them especially phosphorous based devices which can spontaneously ignite.
Fishing boat contamination is comparatively rare but has happened in the past including a Breton vessel some years ago which netted a chemical agent causing quite serious injury to some of the crew men (report in the links below):
Related links:
Image: MFV Star of Annan phosphorous based munition ignited onboard
BERNARD MOFFATT
Public Relations Officer Mannin Branch
Issued by: The Mannin branch of the Celtic League.
18/11/16
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