Director of Museums Dr Jason Monaghan, 47 at the Guernsey Museum and Art Gallery, Candie, St Peter Port.

AN ANCIENT French galleon’s treasure will not be coming to Guernsey – even if it is found off our coast.
Culture and Leisure Department museums director Jason Monaghan said there had
been no contact with the American company reportedly investigating sites near the
island.
Rumours are rife that Odyssey Marine Exploration is looking for the remains of a 17th-century French vessel, La Vierge du Bon Port, which reputedly had treasure on board now worth in excess of £200m.
It was the pride of Louis XIV’s merchant navy but was sunk in the English Channel in July 1666.
The site is thought to be between 25 and 40 miles out in the Channel and, if that location is accurate, it would not be an issue for Guernsey authorities.
Islanders have said it might be more like 12 to 15 miles out.
‘I’ve heard from fishermen that the survey boat has been seen closer in than that [25-40 miles], but still way outside our waters,’ said Mr Monaghan.
Anything beyond three and up to 12 miles out becomes the concern of the UK authorities.
Mr Monaghan said there were in the region of 800 wrecks around Guernsey’s coastline – and that is just the ones known about.
Raising any historic wreck would be a matter for the salvage company, the original owners and possibly the open market.
Mr Monaghan said the history and story of the ship itself was more interesting than the treasure that may or may not be found.
‘It will be amazing if they can even find a wreck like that.
‘The chances of finding a wooden wreck in water hundreds of feet deep are extremely small.’
He said Guernsey Museums was always interested in receiving historical information.
‘If the people involved in the project wanted to share that, then we would be very interested but we are at the back of the queue,’ he said.