Questionnaire on oiled wildlife response preparedness under OTSOPA

The Bonn Agreement Secretariat has sent a questionnaire to all the Contracting Parties of the Agreement in order to collect information on current practices with regards to oiled wildlife response and preparedness. This was an action that was agreed in last year’s meeting of OTSOPA, the technical working group of the Agreement. After having created an overview of systems in place in the different Signatories of the Agreement (countries bordering the North Sea and North East Atlantic), the Bonn Agreement anticipates to integrate oiled wildlife response in its Counter Pollution Manual. This Manual is the basis for international cooperation with regards to counter pollution activities. With this action the Bonn Agreement follows the example of HELCOM RESPONSE which last year agreed to the inclusion of oiled wildlife response in its Response Manual.

Sea Alarm has assisted the OTSOPA Secretariat with preparing the questionnaire and will help to analyse the responses and write a draft new chapter for the Counter Pollution Manual which can be discussed in the next OTSOPA meeting in May 2010.