The Celtic League Mannin branch Secretary, Allen Moore, has expressed concerns to DEFA officials about suggestions that the Langness peninsula might be used in a military exercise.
The Celtic League opposes the use of the Celtic countries for military activity and the MOD has a bad track record in relation to such exercises. In recent years the League has highlighted deep seated damage to heathland after a live firing exercise led to fires at Cape Wrath in Scotland. We have also expressed concern about death of marine mammals attributed to naval exercises off the West of Scotland and also hazards to mariners especially fisherman. In 2015 a Co Down fishing vessel was damaged by a submarine West of the Isle of Man. In 2004 a Breton trawler was lost of the Lizard with all five crew members during a NATO exercise the inquiry into those deaths is still ongoing.
A major NATO exercise is due to commence shortly. Joint Warrior (JW) 191, will take place in April 2019 and will comprise of a programme of live firing and mine warfare exercises conducted by land forces, warships, submarines and aircraft across the UK. The maritime element is focused in the offshore and coastal waters to the north east, north and north west of Scotland. Interestingly many of the countries that utilise these areas of Western Britain have severe restrictions on military exercises in their home countries
The League has monitored military activity in the Celtic countries since the mid 1970s
The Langness peninsula is a rich area for a wide range of bird life.
Bernard Moffatt
pp Celtic League Miliary Monitoring
