December 2013
Sea Alarm provides support for oiled wildlife response training in Greece and Cyprus as part of the Preparedness for Oil-polluted Shoreline cleanup and Oiled Wildlife interventions (POSOW) project. These courses are designed to provide basic assessment, rescue and support skills to local responders prior to the arrival of experience oiled wildlife response personnel.
Sea Alarm presents an overview of oiled wildlife response and preparedness at a national two day seminar in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The seminar, which attracted over 300 delegates, was organized by the oil company Petrobras and IBAMA, the wildlife authorities of Brazil. After the event Sea Alarm moderated a one day workshop on wildlife response planning with participants of Brazilian authorities and oil companies.
November 2013
Sea Alarm and WWF Finland present a concept to the European Commission’s Directorate-General Humanitarian and Civil Protections (DG-ECHO) to provide Tier-3 response services and Tier 1 training to countries wanting to establish oiled wildlife response preparedness mechanisms.
Sea Alarm supports a meeting of European oiled wildlife responders at Wildlife Rescue Centre, Ostend in Belgium where the Joint European Protocol for Seabird Rehabilitation is given its final review. The Protocol will be available in early 2014.
Sea Alarm, in cooperation with Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, provides training in oiled wildlife response in Trinidad, which includes sessions on response planning and ‘train the trainer’ courses.
October 2013
Sea Alarm hosts a workshop, commissioned by the Oil Spill Response Joint Industry Project (OSR-JIP), to discuss ways to develop a global oiled wildlife response system to work in conjunction with the Global Response Network and other agencies. Personnel from Aiuká (Brazil), Focus Wildlife (USA), International Bird Rescue (USA), Oiled Wildlife Care Network, UC Davis (USA), Pro-Bird (Germany), RSPCA (UK), SANCCOB (South Africa), Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research (USA), Wildbase, Massey University (New Zealand) and Wildlife Rescue Centre Ostend (Belgium) participate. Tri-State Bird Rescue signs an MoU with Sea Alarm.
HELCOM (the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission) agrees to strengthen its wildlife response capability by 2016 by having national response plans in place in all Member States. An expert working group is also created. Sea Alarm and WWF Finland are instrumental in moving this process forward.
Sea Alarm designs, prepares and facilitates a two-day wildlife response event in the Netherlands, as part of a multi-year contract with Rijkswaterstaat. Three field and two tabletop exercises are held, including set up of a temporary wildlife rehabilitation facility and a simulation of birds being treated within that facility.
An OSRL Members Technical Forum is held in Bahrain. Sea Alarm is invited to present its activities and its wildlife response planning projects in the Middle East Region.
September 2013
Sea Alarm initiates a project to explore the possibility of creating more and closer cooperation between leading NGOs in the Baltic countries in anticipation of a HELCOM decision regarding improving oiled wildlife response capabilities in the region.
Sea Alarm continues assisting the States of Guernsey with improving their oiled wildlife response preparedness, collaborating with OSRL, the RSPCA and the Guernsey SPCA on a training event and stakeholder meeting. Based on the results of those activities Sea Alarm aids Guernsey in developing their wildlife response procedures.
Updates to Sea Alarm’s two websites (sea-alarm.org and oiledwildlife.eu) are announced.
Sea Alarm signs an MoU with the University of Guelph in Canada to improve international appreciation of marine wildlife emergency preparedness and response. A meeting to develop an action plan is held.
Sea Alarm is awarded a project to develop a new oiled wildlife preparedness good practice guidance document under the Oil Spill Response Joint Industry Project (OSR-JIP), managed by IPIECA. The guidance document will be developed in conjunction with contributing authors from leading wildlife response organisations.
August 2013
MoUs are signed with UC Davis Oiled Wildlife Care Network (USA), Pro-Bird (Germany) and the RSPCA (UK). Discussions move forward on developing an international oiled wildlife response network.
May 2013
Sea Alarm participates in the initial Preparedness for Oil-polluted Shoreline cleanup and Oiled Wildlife interventions (POSOW) Train the Trainer courses in association with Centre Vétérinaire de la Faune Sauvage et des Ecosystèmes (CVFSE) and WWF Finland. POSOW aims to increase oil spill response readiness in the Mediterranean region.
Sea Alarm presents results of the POSOW project at the Adriatic oil spill conference in Croatia.
April 2013
The POSOW Oiled Wildlife Response Manual, developed by Sea Alarm, in consultation with Centre Vétérinaire de la Faune Sauvage et des Écosystèmes (CVFSE) and WWF Finland, is published and made available online.
Sea Alarm attends SPILLCON in Australia, the principle oil spill conference for the Asia-Pacific region.
MoUs are signed with Focus Wildlife (USA/Canada), International Bird Rescue (USA) and Aiuká (Brazil) as progress continues on enhancing cooperation among and between experienced oiled wildlife response organisations.
March 2103
The European Oiled Wildlife Responders meet in Hamburg, Germany. Sea Alarm is a key member of the organisation, providing staff time and other types of support for the group as it develops a response protocol for cooperative efforts in Europe.
Staff from Sea Alarm attends meetings with French oiled wildlife response organisations Alca Torda Recovery Centre and Wildlife Care Centre (Le Centre Vétérinaire de la Faune Sauvage et des Ecosystèmes (CVFSE)) at Nantes Atlantic College of Veterinary Medicine, Food Science and Engineering (ONIRIS) to discuss oiled wildlife response in France. CVFSE and Sea Alarm continue their collaboration on the POSOW project.
February 2013
MoUs are signed with SANCCOB (South Africa)and Wildlife Rescue Centre Ostend (Belgium) increasing all three organisations’ ability to respond to oil spills around the world.
Joy Bruce-Radcliffe (Office Manager), Tim Thomas (Consultant) and Dawn Smith (Consultant) take on more consistent roles within the organisation.
January 2013
Paul Kelway joins Sea Alarm as Global Preparedness Coordinator. Paul will work with international NGOs to develop a worldwide infrastructure to support and enhance oiled wildlife preparedness and response.