Nine of the country’s experts, including four toxicologists, have drawn a link between the death and the piles of sea lettuce that are harvested in the region’s coastal spots.
They have challenged the findings of St Brieuc’s public prosecutor’s office, which said in December that gas poisoning could not be ruled out in the case, but that the cause of death could not be established.
The group has called for the release of the autopsy report as well as histology results, which involved the examination of the deceased’s cells and tissue.
Fumes from decomposing seaweed have also been linked by some to the deaths of several wild boars in 2011 and a horse in 2009 in northern France.
The Island’s annual build-up of sea lettuce, which can be prominent in St Aubin’s Bay, is not as severe as it is in parts of Brittany where the plant is harvested.
Authorities are still considering what approach to take to reduce local blooms of sea lettuce, which can be removed at the request of the Environmental Health Department if it is deemed to be a risk.
Full report in Wednesday’s JEP.
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