HELCOM – Page 2 – SEA ALARM

A new self-assessment tool for oiled wildlife response preparedness

October 31, 2016

self-assement-tool for oiled wildlife response — An example of a completed assessment, showing areas of strength and those needing improvement

How prepared are we for oiled wildlife response?

This is a question regularly considered by the HELCOM Response (Baltic Sea Area) Expert Working Group on Oiled Wildlife Response (EWR-OWR), chaired by Sea Alarm.

To help with making an accurate assessment of their level of preparedness, the Working Group decided to develop a self-assessment tool to aid countries in gauging and reporting on their progress toward preparedness for response to oiled wildlife.

HELCOM 2013 agrees to develop wildlife plans by 2016

November 25, 2013

Having just reported that HELCOM Response was recommending stronger oiled wildlife response targets, Sea Alarm is pleased to note that on 3 October, the 2013 Copenhagen Ministerial Meeting of HELCOM, the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, has agreed on those targets.

Helcom Response recommends stronger wildlife targets

October 2, 2013

Following Hugo Nijkamp’s presentation of a joint Sea Alarm and WWF-Finland paper, HELCOM Response has recommended strengthening targets for integrating wildlife response into Baltic area oil spill response planning.

Preparedness meetings and exercises in 2012

March 11, 2013

A major part of Sea Alarm’s work is assisting coastal governments, NGOs and other agencies in preparedness for an oiled wildlife response. Regular meetings, trainings and exercises of response plans ensure on-going readiness to respond to wildlife threatened by oil spills.

Scheduled HELCOM wildlife events in 2012

January 17, 2012

Sea Alarm is continuing its efforts to help Baltic countries to develop their oiled wildlife preparedness by assisting with organisation of two international events in 2012. These events had been proposed as part of a HELCOM Work Programme on Oiled Wildlife Preparedness and Response, submitted by Estonia, Sea Alarm and WWF Finland and adopted in 2010.

HELCOM Response Meeting St Petersburg

December 23, 2010

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.

Recommendation on oiled wildlife response planning adopted

August 6, 2010

At the recent Ministerial Meeting in Moscow, Ministers from all contracting parties to the Helsinki Convention have adopted a new Recommendation called “Integrated oiled wildlife response planning in the Baltic Sea Area”. This Recommendation was developed by Sea Alarm in close cooperation with Estonia and WWF-Finland.

Advice to Finland Rescue Service

March 11, 2010

During a recent visit to Helsinki in the framework of HELCOM Response, Sea Alarm’s Hugo Nijkamp met with Vesa Numinen and Tomi Rask of the Helsinki City Rescue Department (HCRD) to discuss oiled wildlife response preparedness.

Sea Alarm granted observer status at HELCOM

March 11, 2010

Sea Alarm are delighted to have been granted observed official observer status at HELCOM, which was agreed at the Helsinki Commission meeting in Helsinki on 4-5 March 2010.

Baltic oiled wildlife response going from strength to strength

March 11, 2010

Sea Alarm attended the 12th HELCOM RESPONSE meeting on 17-19 February in Helsinki. During this meeting the Response Group approved a formal HELCOM recommendation on wildlife preparedness and response, prepared by Sea Alarm, Estonia and WWF Finland.

Planning workshop for Baltic countries

November 27, 2009

Sea Alarm and WWF Finland organised an international workshop on oiled wildlife response planning for countries bordering the Baltic Sea. The workshop took place in Tallinn on 5 October 2009, back to back with the Effects of Oil on Wildlife Conference which allowed participants to take advantage of both events. The Estonian Ministry of Environment hosted the workshop, which was attended by 20 participants, including 16 delegates from 6 Baltic Sea Countries. The main objective of the workshop was to familiarise participants with the elements of an oiled wildlife response and the various steps of a planning process.

Helcom moving swiftly to integrate oiled wildlife

September 25, 2009

Sea Alarm attended the HELCOM Response meeting that took place from 23-25 September in Stockholm, Sweden. An important agenda item was the discussion of a paper prepared by Estonia, Sea Alarm and WWF that seeks to include oiled wildlife response in the HELCOM Response Manual.