News that French judicial authorities have discounted the involvement of a number of British and Dutch submarines in the sinking of the Breton trawler Bugaled Breizh is likely to leave relatives of those who died unconvinced.

The Bugaled Breizh sank suddenly off the Lizard in January 2004. All five crew members aboard the vessel drowned. The deaths of all crew members seems to be related to a sudden catastrophe overwhelming the vessel and is consistent with the vessel having its fishing gear snagged by a submarine and being towed under. Another theory,initially aired at the time of the sinking, was that the vessel could have been in collision with a much larger vessel.

However no suspicious merchant vessel was identified in the area at the time and in case when the wreck of the Bugaled Breizh was raised it showed no sign of damage consistent with a major surface collision of this type.

Now French prosecutors say documents supplied by the Royal Navy and the Dutch Navy show that submarines from both countries, which were in the area when it happened participating in a large NATO exercise, were not close to the location where the Bugaled Breizh foundered.

The French authorities are exhibiting an incredible naivety if they are talking at face value assurances from military authorities. The Celtic League know for a fact that the British Ministry of Defence has a history of duplicity and has attempted to cover up such incidents in the past. In addition many in Brittany believe that the French Navy has mounted similar cover-ups over previous fishing vessel losses.

The failure to advance a logical explanation for the sinking of the Bugaled Breizh, combined with the confused initial information about the deployed location of naval units taking part in the NATO exercise, still points to submarine involvement.

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

16/03/07

See also Celtic News Nos:

For related Celtic News items on this issue see Celtic News Nos:

2085 DEJA VU - IS THE BUGALED BREIZH ANOTHER SHERALGA? - Feb 12, 2007

2067: PUBLIC INQUIRY CALL OVER BUGALED BREIZH SINKING - Dec 2006 2057: BRETON TRAWLER - ENQUIRY REPORT ANGERS FAMILIES - Nov 27 2006 1978: BUGALED BREIZH - WHY NO ANSWERS - MEETING WILL ASK - Jul 29, 2006 1697: NAVY PLAY DOWN INVOLVEMENT IN FISHING TRAGEDY - May 2, 2005 1668: SCOURGE OF THE COLD WAR RETURNS - Mar 26, 2005 1648: MORE QUESTIONS FOR MILITARY OVER BRETON BOAT LOSS - Feb 12, 2005 1514: BUGALED BREIZH SINKING - NEW QUESTIONS - Oct 9, 2004 1497: BUGALED BREIZH - NAVAL UNIT DISPOSITION CONFUSION - Aug 23, 2004 1471: TRAWLER FAMILIES CAMPAIGN TO RAISE VESSEL - Jun 30, 2004 1464: ANOTHER MFV SNAGGED BY A SUB - May 15, 2004

See also earlier Celtic League archive on this subject at:

(voir le site)