States of Guernsey make progress in oiled wildlife response preparedness

Sea Alarm has been asked to assist the States of Guernsey in reviewing and updating their arrangements for oiled wildlife preparedness and response. As part of the process, an oiled wildlife preparedness training event and stakeholder meeting was held in mid-September in conjunction with an Oil Spill Response (OSRL) shoreline cleanup training course.

Representatives of several authority departments, NGOs and veterinarians from Guernsey and the other Channel Islands of Jersey and Alderney attended the event. The RSPCA was invited to provide the hands-on aspects of the oiled wildlife training, with Saskia Sessions of Sea Alarm presenting management and planning considerations for wildlife response. The RSPCA and the Guernsey SPCA discussed the latter’s capacity to deal with oiled wildlife during an incident.

Based on observations and discussions during the event, Sea Alarm will help the States of Guernsey develop oiled wildlife response procedures which will become a part of the Marine Counter Pollution Plan for the Bailiwick of Guernsey.