The Royal Navy has been accused of detonating explosives that make dolphins and whales go deaf despite having access to more environmentally friendly methods.
Navy divers have carried out 107 detonations of submerged bombs around the UK over the past ten years. Scientists believe that the explosions damage the hearing of dolphins, porpoises and whales.
They say that the vibrations from a large explosion can cause permanent damage to any of the animals within one mile and it is estimated that each time a bomb is detonated up to 60 of them go deaf. This, campaigners warn, can threaten their survival because they rely on hearing for navigation, communication and feeding.
Jeremy Quin, the defence procurement minister, said that over the past decade the
