Authorities in Norway have warned that the wreckage of a submarine that sank off the country's coast in the closing months of World War II has begun leaking mercury into the surrounding waters.
The German Type IX U-boat U-864 has been lying at a depth of 150 metres in the North Sea just off Vestland County since February 9, 1945, when she was sunk by a torpedo fired by the British Royal Navy V-class submarine HMS Venturer. This engagement made U-864 the first submarine in history to be sunk by a hostile submarine while both were submerged.
The Norwegian Coastal Administration (Kystverket) said that U-864 was laden with 60 tons of mercury at the time of her loss, and that the mercury has already begun seeping from her wreck, thus raising fears of contamination affecting wild fish stocks and nearby salmon farms.
A number of fish and crabs have reportedly already exhibited signs of contamination, prompting local groups to more closely monitor aquaculture operations in the region.
Hans Petter Mortensholm, Kystverket Environment Preparedness Director, said that although significant amounts of U-864's mercury cargo have been recovered, the condition of the leakage was worse than initially anticipated.
The agency stated that some of the mercury was found on the seabed with some of it already absorbed.
Efforts are now focused on identifying how the leakage can be effectively contained. A local lobby group has recommended that the submarine's wreck be raised while others have proposed encasing the wreck in sand.