Sea Alarm at the Black Sea Commission

Sea Alarm attended the 18th Meeting of the Environmental Safety Aspects of Shipping Advisory Group of the Black Sea Commission that took place in Istanbul, Turkey on the 4 and 5 of November 2009. The ESAS AG Group, an integral part of the Black Sea Commission institutional structure, coordinates the regional approach to emergency response, particularly international response to accidents involving extraction, maritime transport, handling and storage of oil and hazardous chemicals. Sea Alarm’s Roser Gasol gave a well-received presentation on the latest developments in the other Regional Conventions including HELCOM RESPONSE and OTSOPA. She also provided information on the newly formed EMPOWER Network, an initiative funded by the European Commission. This was the first time that Sea Alarm was invited to a meeting under the Bucharest Convention, which represents a first important step towards assisting countries bordering the Black Sea with developing integrated oiled wildlife response planning as part of their pollution response activities. The meeting demonstrated there is a clear interest in giving this issue further attention in the Black Sea Region and encouraged Sea Alarm in its activities towards improving national preparedness for Black Sea Countries. The minutes of the Meeting will be published on the Black Sea Commission website (http://www.blacksea-commission.org/main.asp) soon.