Sea Alarm presentations and workshops at international conferences in 2012

In 2012 Sea Alarm attended conferences in various countries, presenting on the organisation’s activities and learning about advances in oiled wildlife response around the world.

Sea Alarm is active at 2012 Effects of Oil on Wildlife (EOW)

Three staff members of Sea Alarm –Hugo Nijkamp, Saskia Sessions and Claude Velter– attended the 11th Annual Effects of Oil on Wildlife Conference, held in New Orleans, USA in January. This conference, held every other year, is the most important international conference for anyone involved in oiled wildlife response and preparedness.

In addition to giving multiple presentations, Sea Alarm sponsored a number of European colleagues who would otherwise not have been able to attend the conference. Hugo Nijkamp served on the Programme Committee.

Sea Alarm keeps oiled wildlife in the picture at Interspill

Sea Alarm once again took advantage of the unique opportunity to advocate for including wildlife response at Interspill, the European oil spill conference held every three years (The US hosted International Oil Spill Conference and SpillCon in Australia are held in the intervening years).

In 2012, in cooperation with International Bird Rescue (IBR), South Africa’s SANCCOB,  and California’s Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN), Sea Alarm provided a training course in ‘Wildlife Response’ prior to the main conference.

Staff also manned a booth, shared with Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) on the exposition floor and Saskia Sessions presented a joint paper with Curt Clumpner of IBR on “Reasonable Oiled Wildlife Response’ at this important conference for oil spill response and preparedness.

 Brainstorming session at Interspill leads to global oiled wildlife response workshop

A lunch meeting at Interspill, organised by Sea Alarm and OSRL, brought representatives from the International Marine Organisation (IMO), the International Tanker Owners Federation (ITOPF), the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPC Fund), SANCCOB, IBR, OWCN and several oil companies together to talk about the need for advancing global wildlife response preparedness. Attendees indicated widespread support for a joint effort to increase the level of professionalism in oiled wildlife response.

Sea Alarm and OSRL organised a follow-up workshop, attended by OWCN, IBR, IOPC Fund and ITOPF, to develop a professional global response system for oil spill incidents involving wildlife. A proposed terms of reference for creating this global system, based on the results of the workshop, was presented to the initial lunch meeting attendees in early 2013,  and based on the positive feedback received, a more detailed approach for implementation is currently under discussion.

Oilapalooza presentation highlights Sea Alarm’s work in Europe

Saskia Sessions presented an overview of Sea Alarm’s work in wildlife response in Europe to the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) at their annual Oilapalooza conference. The OWCN is a California state collective established by the Department of Fish and Game’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response in 1994. Funded by the state to provide wildlife response services throughout California, its more than 30 member organisations are coordinated by the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center.

Ms Sessions brought back information on state of the art hazing and deterrence methods and insights into how this collaborative network coordinates the activities of multiple centres in an oil spill and develops responder expertise through online and hands–on training programmes.

Arctic Oil Spill Conference invites Sea Alarm wildlife presentation

Hugo Nijkamp made a presentation at the Oil Spill and Ice Management in Arctic Operations conference. At the conference, held in the Netherlands, Mr. Nijkamp spoke on the unique challenges of managing an oiled wildlife response under Arctic conditions, where severe weather plays an important role in the ability to quickly rescue wildlife and the often remote locations restrict the ability to set up care facilities.