On the March 18th 1967, off the coast of Cornwall, the Torrey Canyon, a Liberian oil tanker transporting 121 000 tons of crude oil ran aground on the reefs of the Seven Stones, causing the first big oil spill in history. The oil slicks arrived on the North coast of Brittany from April 10th onward, polluting the beaches and devastating the coastal countryside.
The clean-up started as early on as the 11th April and numerous volunteers discovered the farcical nature of the means of combat-spades and buckets- in the face of the enormity of what had just occurred. They were helped by soldiers from the 117th regiment from the Lande d’Ouée infantry. Associations, namely SEPNB and LPO, reacted quickly as well by organizing rescue operations for oil-covered birds. But the reaction was not one of protest. It was rather the feeling of stupefaction which dominated.
However, this oil spill was the starting point for an ecological awakening for many citizens who were into action by shocking images of oil-covered beaches and birds stranded in the oil. They also realized that the pollution did not only threaten birds, wildlife and plants but also humans. Albert Lucas, President and Founder of SEPNB, warned: “In this second half of the 20th century, human activity has become so intense and varied for economic and military reasons, that the sea will no longer be able to play its role as a receptacle without drastic change. We are on the brink of a break in the natural equilibrium of things, if rescue measures of an international scale are not taken.”