It follows EU legislation to protect the marine environment which bans the dumping of waste at sea.

BBC: Dundrennan weapon test legality questioned

Even the most potentially disturbing suggestion, which involves fertilising the oceans with iron in order to promote the growth of planktonic algae (in the hope that they would sink to the seabed, taking their carbon with them), can be covered by the London Convention on marine pollution, which regulates dumping at sea, and has already addressed itself to research in the area.

ECONOMIST: Geoengineering