"Our mission is to promote the creation of an Internationally Binding Treaty for Human Health and Environment on all classes (biological, chemical, conventional, and radiological) of underwater munitions, that lead to their global eradacation from our seas and oceans."
International Dialogue on Underwater Munitions (IDUM), is a non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada in 2004, following a Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans in Ottawa, when Senators from all Parties unanimously made the following recommendations, but the Government failed to act.
- Must be greater federal government involvement by departments and agencies other than DND
- Must be a substantial, long-term, financial and scientific commitment by federal government
- Government of Canada should call on the United Nations to organize a conference with several other coastal countries on this serious issue. implement and continue to avoid any open and transparent debate or independent scientific investigation.
An international team of scientists working on the multi-year research project ‘Towards the Monitoring of Dumped Munitions Threat’ (MODUM), supported by NATO’s Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme have been mapping the ocean floor, locating and monitoring munition dump sites in the Baltic Sea. The variety of chemical weapons and explosives left over from the Second World War is thought to pose a significant threat to marine life in the region. WATCH THIS VIDEO
Footprints of Was - trailer
Military attacks have alarming consequences on our ecosystem. Radioactive contaminated landscapes, many millions of tons of ammunition in our oceans, toxic landscapes, ten percent of global carbon emissions - the military footprint is huge.
Mr. Terrance Long, founder of IDUM
Terrance is a former commissioned United Nations Officer (UNO), and retired Canadian Military Engineer specializing in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Demining. His expertise and passion and respect for our seas and ocean led to the birth of IDUM. Our four pillars are to advance International Policy, Science, Technology and Responses to UWM’s. Our Mission is to create a Global Treaty for the Protection of our Seas and Ocean by eradicating underwater chemical, conventional and radiological munitions.
Underwater Munitions toxins (“Silent Killers”) negatively affect our marine environment and human health. There are environmental impacts, that includes depleting fish stocks, extra fish diseases, stress on kidneys and livers of Cod fish, and the inability of juvenile fish to reproduce. Scientists believe, that some chemical weapons may dissipate in water, but others like arsenic, can bioaccumulation in the food chain, and, ultimately, produce human health concerns, including cancers. In many world regions people unknowingly consume contaminated fish.
Warfare Materials continue to spread across our seafloors while chemical plums drift in our waters from underwater munitions dumpsites, exposing large areas to chemical contamination, that destroy fish stocks. TNT’s breakdowns to DNT’s in the marine environment, that is a human carcinogen that remains in the ocean for 1000’s of years to pollute. It’s a matter of time before chemical weapons plums begin to meet one-another in our seas and ocean, raising the temperature of our waters destroying our marine ecosystem, unless we “Call to Action”.IDUM is collaborating with international leaders and organizations to better understand the socio-economic impact on both human health and environment from years of decaying underwater munitions. The organization is facilitating this through international diplomacy via national and international programs, dialogues, conferences, workshops, committees, senate hearings, and international commissions. IDUM promotes constructive engagement with all stakeholders rather than disengagement so that we may learn from one another's situation and determine how we can best respond in the future with everyone's considerations.
Please be ware, speak out, contact your elected officials!
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