Sea Alarm

About Sea Alarm

Sea Alarm’s vision is to establish coastal oiled wildlife response plans and professional response capabilities worldwide. Sea Alarm seeks to achieve its vision by facilitating and motivating strategic alliances among non-governmental organisations (NGOs), governmental organisations and the oil and maritime industries to: be prepared for an oiled wildlife emergency as part of any oil spill response contingency planning; and respond professionally and effectively to oiled wildlife incidents according to best international standards.

Status

Sea Alarm is a not for profit Non-Government Organisation (NGO) that operates from an office in Brussels, Belgium. Its international Board aims to represent the interests of Wildlife/Nature Conservation/Environmental organisations (NGOs) the Maritime and Oil Industries and Governments in having effective response and preparedness systems in place.

Sea Alarm has been established by Royal Decree (6/CH/15.546/S) and is registered in Belgium as a Foundation for Public Interest (Stichting van Algemeen Nut) under number 0894-810-152.

Obligations and Responsabilities

Sea Alarm is a small non-governmental organisation with a 3-person team that works to improve global preparedness for and response to oiled wildlife incidents. Sea Alarm’s personnel have a unique expertise that includes 24/7 wildlife incident assessment and management services, wildlife planning and preparedness development, response network management and alignment, best practice dissemination, design and development of training and exercises. Sea Alarm experts do not handle animals, but as advisers help to create the environment and conditions that all parties, including mobilised hands-on experts, need to make a difference during an incident. Sea Alarm has a longstanding agreement with Oil Spill Response (OSRL) to provide 24/7 response services to OSRL members. Sea Alarm is also a member of the Mediterranean Assistance Unit.

Role and/or Services

Sea Alarm’s activities focus on the following fields:

• Encouraging (response) cooperation between experts and expert organizations by forming networks, organizing events, moderating meetings, and initiating and managing projects.
• Developing best practices and guidelines via meetings and research projects
• Promoting and dissemination of best practices and guidelines and their implementation via various media and representation
• Encouraging and assisting the development and implementation of specialized response plans
• Developing and providing training for responders, response teams and managers
• Assisting with the management of wildlife incidents by providing advice, coordination or information services to interested stakeholders.

Check the Country Wildlife Response Profiles (CWRPs) designed primarily to provide crucial information on the level of a country’s preparedness to deal with an oil spill incident that involves marine wildlife.

Response services

Sea Alarm is available 24/7 for response services. These include but are not limited to:

• Providing distant advice on strategy and management
• Identify, mobilise and coordinate expert oiled wildlife response resources and equipment
• Carry out an on-site assessment to identify gaps and needs in on-going response activities
• Providing on-site advice on strategy and management; coaching of officers; set up ops room.
• Establishing contacts with industry resources
• Assist with (ensuring the success of) wildlife claim

These services are available for industry, governments and NGOs. If called out, Sea Alarm will liaise with coordinating bodies and key individuals who work on-site. Sea Alarm has limited resources to support its own mobilisation and that of other responders.

Preparedness services 

• Maintaining and expanding networks of responders (Europe and worldwide)
• Developing and disseminating international standards for response and preparedness
• Assisting governments and NGOs in developing national response and preparedness solutions
• Developing and providing training and exercises
• Participating in exercises and meetings
• Communication of news and developments

Resources

(if applicable)

• Providing expert advice (together with identified expert partners) on the site of the accident as part of the Mediterranean Assistance Unit (MAU), to enhance the capability of the Contracting Parties in responding to oiled wildlife incidents.
• Sea Alarm will also provide remote assistance if required by REMPEC following a request from the Contracting Party and provide technical advice and any other relevant information.

Procedure

Request for assistance

After receiving a request for assistance from a Contracting Party, the Director of REMPEC will take a decision regarding the activation of the MAU and alert Sea Alarm as necessary. The alert message to Sea Alarm should be transmitted by phone using one of the emergency line numbers below. 

Together with the alert, REMPEC will provide as much data as available on the accident and on the assistance required. If required, data can also be transmitted by email (see emergency email below). In such a case, Sea Alarm will be informed by phone that data is being transmitted by email. 

Sea Alarm will ensure that: 

• either its duty officer will pick-up the call and acknowledge immediately the request, or
• any alert message left on its phone box will be acknowledged by the means indicated in the message not later than
  • one (1) hour after receipt, during the normal working hours
  • six (6) hours after receipt, when the alert message was sent outside the normal working hours, including on public holidays and other non-working days.

When acknowledging receipt Sea Alarm will indicate whether and when the required services can be provided and give an estimate of the duration of its onsite support depending on the relative priority and its financial resources. REMPEC will confirm Sea Alarm’s acknowledgment by e-mail or by fax immediately after receipt and, if direct telephone contact has not yet been established with REMPEC, Sea Alarm will endeavour to immediately establish one with a view to finalizing arrangements for the sending of experts to the Contracting Party requesting assistance. 

Conditions

Sea Alarm will, subject to the necessary financial arrangements being in place, make its expert personnel available to take part in the MAU missions and provide other assistance under this Memorandum in all cases when so requested by REMPEC, except in case when all qualified personnel had already been assigned to other duties. The mobilization of Sea Alarm will be confirmed by execution of a work order setting out the necessary details of the mission, including the type and duration. 

Sea Alarm’s mobilisation shall be according to the details of the Mou between REMPEC and Sea Alarm (REMPEC/CONT/08/2011).

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