NGOs – Page 7 – SEA ALARM

Sea Alarm responds to oil spill in Norway

August 3, 2009

The ship FULL CITY on the Norwegian shoreline (source picture: www.kystverket.no)

Sea Alarm”s Roser Gasol travelled to Norway to respond to an oil spill caused by the Panamese bulk carrier MS Full City. The ship stranded in the early hours of 31 July on skerries near Langesund, county Telemark, in southern Norway following a storm. The Full City had 1120 tons of bunker oil on board of which a thousand tons have spilled into the sea.

The spill occurred in an area where several nature reserves are present, and at this time of year, is an important area for eiders, scoters, terns, cormorants and several gull species.

Effects of Oil on Wildlife (EOW) Conference Programme

August 2, 2009

Sea Alarm is pleased to announce that the preliminary programme for the 10th International Effects of Oil on Wildlife (EOW) Conference has been published. Please visit the EOW website for further details.

Update on Progress in Portugal

June 13, 2009

Several Portugese NGOs are working together to develop an oiled wildlife response plan for Portugal (see earlier newsletters). A working group has been tasked with the preparation of the first draft of the plan, which will be reviewed by the entire group once completed. The working group has determined the principles for the notification and communication procedures, established the main geographical challenges, and identified the texts and structures that could be adopted from the Belgian oiled wildlife response plan, which is being used as a model.

An Oiled Bird Rehabilitation course for volunteers in the Netherlands

June 12, 2009

In the event of an oil spill incident in the Netherlands, the care of oiled birds is delegated to the Oiled Bird Foundation Netherlands (SON) as part of the integrated oiled bird response plan. Comprised of the five coastal rehabilitation centres in the Netherlands, SON is incorporated in the Netherlands as a Foundation. Sea Alarm regularly attends SON’s bi-annual board meetings as an observer, the last of which was held 29 May at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Ostend.

Meeting of the UK Environmental Group

May 30, 2009

Sea Alarm attended the UK National Standing Environment Group Chairs Meeting, which took place in London on 29 April. Organised annually by the Maritime and Coastal Agency (MCA), the purpose of the meeting is to inform Environmental Group Chairs and key individuals about eventual changes in the UK National Oil Spill Plan or related documents and procedures, and discuss recent developments, case histories and relevant current topics. This is the second time Sea Alarm has been invited to the meetings as an observer, taking the opportunity to report on relevant international developments in the field of oiled wildlife preparedness and response.

Update on the RIOS Project

May 29, 2009

Sea Alarm has received clearance from the European Commission to publish the RIOS (Reducing the Impact of Oil Spills) Action Plan, which assimilates the conclusions and recommendations from the RIOS workshop held in April 2008. Sea Alarm plans to make…

EMPOWER Steering Group Meeting

May 28, 2009

The first Steering Group meeting of the newly established EMPOWER Network was held in Brussels in May. The Steering Group’s role is to advise and assist Sea Alarm in setting up the EMPOWER Network and coordinate the various activities of the work programme. This initiative has been made possible thanks to a grant awarded to Sea Alarm by the European Commission.

Registration for the 10th International EOW Conference is now open

May 25, 2009

To register for this unique event 5 day event, which will take place in Tallinn, Estonia from 5-9 October, please visit the registration page of the EOW website where you will be directed to the on-line booking service. A detailed description…

Call for Papers and Posters

April 2, 2009

The Call for Papers and Posters for the 10^th International Effects of Oil on Wildlife (EOW) Conference is now open. Prospective authors are invited to submit a 200-300 word abstract for consideration by the 1^st June 2009. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Program Committee and successful applicants will be asked to provide an extended abstract/paper prior to the Conference for inclusion in the Proceedings.

EMPOWER Network Steering Group Meeting

April 2, 2009

The first Steering Group meeting of the EMPOWER Network will be held in Brussels on 8th May. This is the first meeting of the representatives from the nine Founding Members of the Network, who are tasked with drafting the rules…

Ostend Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre

April 2, 2009

We are delighted to announce that after nine years of planning, lobbying and construction works, VOC Ostend, an EMPOWER Founding Member, has opened its new Rehabilitation Centre. The new building has the capacity to treat 400-500 oiled birds at a time, and can be upgraded within 24 hours, enabling the centre to treat up to 1000 birds.

Visit to Tallinn, Estonia

April 2, 2009

In March, Hugo Nijkamp attended a meeting at the Ministry of Environment in Tallinn, Estonia together with representatives from the Estonian Ministry of Environment, the HELCOM Secretariat and WWF Finland. Together, the participants discussed a proposal that will be submitted at upcoming HELCOM RESPONSE meeting in September, which seeks to integrate oiled wildlife response into the existing Helcom Response Manual.

Whilst in Tallinn, Hugo also met with Agni Kaldma and Juri-Ott Salm of the Estonian Fund for Nature (ELF), the local partner and co-host of the 10th Effects of Oil on Wildlife Conference.