Fishing crews in the Atlantic keep accidentally dredging up chemical weapons

Source: Ars Technica

Background

Until 1970, the United States dumped an estimated 17,000 tons of unspent chemical weapons from World War I and World II off the Atlantic coast. The disposal decision continues to affect commercial fishing operations today.

Recent Incidents (2016‑2023)

Health officials from New Jersey and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported three incidents in which commercial fishing crews dredged up dangerous chemical warfare munitions (CWMs) off the coast of New Jersey between 2016 and 2023.

• Exposure: At least six crew members were exposed to mustard agent, which causes blistering chemical burns on skin and mucous membranes.
• Medical outcomes:
  • One crew member required overnight emergency‑department treatment for respiratory distress and second‑degree burns.
  • Another suffered severe burns, was hospitalized in a burn center, and needed skin grafting and physical therapy.
• Illustration: An example of mustard‑agent burns can be seen here (graphic image).

Specific case: 2016, Atlantic City

• While dredging for clams, a crew retrieved a munition on a conveyor belt.
• A crew member noticed the device, threw it overboard, but later developed arm burns that required skin grafting.
• The incident’s delayed reporting allowed the contaminated clams to enter production, prompting a recall of 192 cases of clam chowder and the destruction of 704 cases of clams.

Historical Context

This is not the first MMWR report of such incidents. In 2013, federal health officials documented three additional incidents in the mid‑Atlantic region. The report noted that clam fishermen in Delaware Bay “told investigators that they routinely recover munitions that often ‘smell like garlic,’ a potential indication of the presence of a chemical agent.”
MMWR 2013 report

Ongoing Risks

• Worker safety: Recovered CWMs pose direct health hazards to fishermen and processing workers.
• Food safety: Contaminated seafood can enter the market before detection, leading to recalls and public health concerns.
• Location uncertainty: Ocean drift, storms, and offshore activities have displaced many sea‑disposed CWMs far from their originally documented dump sites, making their whereabouts largely unknown.

The continued presence of these munitions underscores the need for improved detection, reporting, and mitigation strategies to protect both maritime workers and consumers.