HELCOM Response Meeting St Petersburg

A second 2010 HELCOM RESPONSE meeting was held 13-15 October in St. Petersburg, Russia. Sea Alarm did not attend the meeting, but prepared a proposal for a working programme for oiled wildlife response preparedness together with WWF-Finland and Estonia. The proposal was presented to the meeting by Estonia and WWF-Finland and, after some discussion and suggestions for modification, was adopted.

The adopted work programme for 2010-13 includes systematic reporting at HELCOM Response meetings of progress in national response planning by Contracting Parties and any oiled wildlife response training or exercises held. The work programme also foresees some events to be organised, which will advance Baltic preparedness for oiled wildlife incidents. These include an exchange meeting for Baltic Wildlife responders, giving an opportunity for them to train together, share experience and to look at possible ways of working together to improve the international response capability for the region. Another meeting is planned under the HELCOM Response umbrella where ministries with responsibility for dealing with oiled wildlife are also invited, providing a forum for exchanging knowledge and experience and helping integration of wildlife issues into wider oil spill response. The adoption of this special working programme for wildlife response preparedness signifies the full integration of this subject into the operational system of HELCOM.