HELCOM experts to determine a set of priority marine pollution response activities to be included into the Baltic Sea Action Plan

Helsinki, 12 September (HELCOM) – The HELCOM Response Group will hold its regular meeting on 13 - 15 September in Gdynia, Poland, to discuss further measures to enhance the capacity to respond to marine pollution incidents in the Baltic, including oil spillages, as well as to improve the detection of offenders of anti-pollution regulations. It will be conducted by Mr. Thomas Fagö, Chairman of the HELCOM Response Group.

The development of the strategic HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) to restore the marine environment with regard to response activities is expected to top the agenda. Particularly, experts will consider a set of concrete proposals to be included into the HELCOM BSAP on sub-regional co-operation, emergency assistance and response operations, detection of illegal discharges, enhanced use of information for risk assessment and management, as well as co-operation with EMSA and regional organisations. These proposals will serve as an input to the response strategy now being drafted by the HELCOM ad hoc Task Force for the development of the BSAP.

Representatives of the HELCOM countries are planning to share their first experiences in using the HELCOM STW/AIS system, which integrates data from the Seatrack Web (STW) oil drift forecasting system and the Automatic Identification System (AIS) for monitoring maritime traffic. The aim of this new system is to provide additional tools for identifying ships that illegally discharge oil into the Baltic Sea. Up until now only a few of the ships that illegally discharge oil into the sea could be identified. Today, by combining data on ships’ routes from the AIS with reversed calculations of the pathways of oil slicks based on the Seatrack Web system, identification procedures are significantly improved, providing better evidence for the courts.

According to the agenda, the Meeting will look into the results of recent HELCOM aerial surveillance flights, e.g. CEPCO North and CEPCO South, during which special aircraft from several coastal countries jointly monitor areas with high likelihood of operational oil spills. Participants will discuss ongoing projects and activities related to the use of satellites for the detection of oil slicks and illegal discharges. It is expected that the Meeting will adopt and release of the 2005 HELCOM reports on ship accidents and detection of illegal discharges in the Baltic Sea.

The Meeting will also analyse the results of the HELCOM annual international oil spill response exercise BALEX DELTA held on 6 September 2006 off Gdynia, Poland, and discuss preparations for the next exercise, which will take place in Estonia next year.

Representatives of the coastal countries will exchange information on the progress made in establishing their national abilities and organisations for response to pollution at sea and continue discussions on strengthening of the sub-regional capacity co-operation in the response field. The main aim is to ensure sufficient emergency resources in the area to provide adequate emergency towing, fire fighting, and lightering capacity to a ship in distress within a reasonable time period, and also enough response resources on a sub-regional basis to handle a “medium size” pollution incident or to control large scale pollution incidents until the assisting forces from the Baltic Sea countries arrive on scene.

Sweden as Lead Country will introduce the latest developments within the HELCOM Project “Analysis of new opportunities for usage of dispersants in the Baltic Sea”. Last year, HELCOM Response Group agreed that there is a clear need for more information related to the characteristics of oil transported in the Baltic, the types of dispersants effective in the Baltic Sea conditions, and environmental sensitivity.

Representatives of the coastal countries will also look into the activities related to the response operations at night/in bad visibility, as well as further co-operation with regard to places of refuge. Finland is expected to present an overview of the existing experience in responding to oil pollution in ice. And Denmark as Lead Country will table its annual report on WWII chemical munitions dumped in the Baltic Sea.

Note to Editors:

The Helsinki Commission, or HELCOM, works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental co-operation between the countries bordering the sea - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and also the European Community.  

HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area," more usually known as the Helsinki Convention.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Thomas Fagö

Chairman of HELCOM RESPONSE

Tel: +46 (455) 353455

E-mail: thomas.fago@coastguard.se  

Mr. Tadas Navickas

Professional Secretary

HELCOM

Tel: +358 (0)207 412 642

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail:  tadas.navickas@helcom.fi

Mr. Nikolay Vlasov

Information Secretary

HELCOM

Tel: +358 (0)207 412 635

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: nikolay.vlasov@helcom.fi