The commercial and unsustainable extraction of sand from the coastline of two of the Celtic countries is causing the erosion of sand dunes and beach areas, according to environmental groups in Brittany and Cornwall.

Hayle SOS and le peuple des dunes are campaigning to get businesses who extract sand for commercial purposes to do so using more sustainable methods so that the coastline is not put at risk.

Hayle SOS say that the commercial mining of sand in Hayle is not only threatening the beaches around Halye, but the whole of the of the St Ives coastline. In addition, Hayle SOS claims that sand extraction is eroding the sand dunes, which are among the most dynamic and potentially fragile of all coastal habitats, with the Hayle/Gwithian Towans (and Penhale) being the largest sand dune systems in Cornwall.

In Cornwall, there is an extensive programme of sand dune protection, but in Brittany most sand dune areas are not protected to the same extent. Le Peuple des Dunes are also campaigning to protect the sand dunes and beaches of the Breton coast from commercial sand extraction.

On the 25th March they organised 12000 people to protest against the extraction of sand by the company Lafarge and are currently further defining their campaigning strategy. As reported on the Agence Bretagne Presse ( (voir le site) and search peuple des dunes) website Le peuple des dunes are looking to form closer links with other European groups who are also working towards similar goals.

The Celtic League has written to both groups to inform each of the others campaigns with the intention of perhaps working together in the future.

See: (voir le site)
and (voir le site)
for more information.

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

12/05/07