Meeting European response team

Sea Alarm organised a second meeting with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Wildlife Rescue Centre Ostend and ProBird Germany, to discuss wildlife response issues, especially the rehabilitation of oiled birds. The meeting took place in September at Mallydams Wood, one of RSPCA’s wildlife hospitals, and was attended by various people from the different key organisations mentioned. An earlier meeting in April 2010 demonstrated that it is useful to have regular exchanges of the details of the oiled bird rehabilitation protocols that each of the organisations uses.

Based on the protocol used in Ostend, an analysis was made of the differences in approach in other groups and centres, if any. It appeared that no important differences were detected. Small differences appeared in the details of the protocols, but it was agreed that these would not obstruct any joint efforts, for instance in the joint response to an emergency. It was decided to develop a joint protocol for joint responses and to look more in detail into training opportunities that could be offered to interested wildlife responders elsewhere in Europe. A next meeting will be held in spring 2011, and in the meantime some draft products will be developed for discussion.