Tag: Response to spills

Five out of nine Baltic Sea countries have plans in place for wildlife polluted from marine spillsAccording to a new released today, five Baltic Sea countries have established plans for handling polluted wildlife during marine pollution incidents, mostly created via active partnerships between authorities and NGOs. Other coastal countries are still identifying proper approaches and developing resources.Different approaches to wildlife response have been selected by those Baltic Sea coastal countries which have procedures in place. Some countries have chosen cleaning and rehabilitation of polluted wildlife as the default approach, others apply euthanasia unless species with conservation interest are involved.Images of oiled wildlife are among the strongest symbols of accidental spills. However, nationally coordinated strategies on how to deal with wildlife affected by spills is a surprisingly recent phenomenon and still relatively rare worldwide.Photo: Antti Haavisto/WWFIn the Baltic Sea, explicit regional cooperation on oiled wildlife response appeared first with the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan of 2007. The first dedicated regional legal instrument on oiled wildlife response cooperation in the Baltic Sea was on integrated wildlife response planning, adopted in 2010.Based on the HELCOM Recommendation 31E/6 and 2013 HELCOM Ministerial Declaration, the Baltic Sea coastal countries are to develop a wildlife response plan, integrated into oil pollution contingency plans, either on a national or sub-national/local level by 2016, and to apply the commonly agreed guidelines on its contents including e.g. aims, minimum standards and involvement of volunteers.A dedicated HELCOM
Expert Working Group on Oiled Wildlife Response (EWG OWR) was set up in 2014 to support the implementation of these goals.”HELCOM is currently the only Regional Agreement in the world that has set genuine aims for the integration of oiled wildlife preparedness and response in national and regional emergency response systems” says Hugo Nijkamp, chair of the HELCOM EWG-OWR. “Still there is work to do in order to meet the set targets in this field of oil spill response, but as a result of progress made so far, some countries are definitely better prepared and there are lots of interesting lessons learned.” Download the Report on the status of national wildlife response plans in the Baltic Sea .***Note for editors works to ensure swift national and international responses to maritime pollution incidents, including in case of accident the availability of appropriate equipment and the joint practice of response procedures in cooperation with neighbouring states. The group also coordinates the released into the Baltic Sea and help identify suspected polluters. The meetings of the HELCOM RESPONSE Group have been held regularly among all Baltic Sea countries and EU for over thirty years. The Response group includes Expert Working Group on Oiled Wildlife Response (EWG OWR), HELCOM Expert Coordination Network on Response on the Shore (SHORE network), Informal Working Group on Aerial Surveillance (IWGAS) and HELCOM Expert Group on Environmental Risks of Hazardous Submerged Objects (SUBMERGED).The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as HELCOM, is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention.***For more information, please contact:Hugo NijkampChair, HELCOM EWG OWRTel. +32494900012Email: nijkamp(at)sea-alarm.orgSusanna KaasinenHELCOM Secretariat (report editor)Tel. +358 40 536 5819Email: susanna.kaasinen(at)helcom.fiHermanni BackerProfessional SecretaryHELCOM ResponseTel. +358468509199Email: Hermanni.backer(at)helcom.fi​

According to a new HELCOM report released today, five Baltic Sea countries have established plans for handling polluted wildlife during marine pollution incidents, mostly created via active partnerships between authorities and NGOs.

​​​​​​​Greenlighting key tools and indicators for State of the Baltic Sea report a major topic in HELCOM Heads of Delegation meeting this week High-level segment on ocean-related Sustainable Development Goals to take place on 28 February 2017   Delegations representing all Baltic coastal states as well as the EU this week at HELCOM headquarters to discuss and decide on the best measures for improving the Baltic marine environment. HELCOM holistic assessment 2017, a major discussion point by HELCOM delegates this week, will also rely on the upgraded tools to assess the themes of biodiversity, hazardous substances and eutrophication. Photo: Metsähallitus NHS/Niina Kurikka.The meeting participants will face major decisions required for completing HELCOM State of the Baltic Sea report (), first results due in mid-2017. Draft Recommendations on sewage sludge and conservation of underwater biotopes and habitats are expecting agreement. The 2-day meeting will also discuss the final plans for the HELCOM high-level segment on ocean-related Sustainable Development Goals, taking place on 28 February 2017.The delegates, observers and other stakeholders attending the meeting in Helsinki, Finland will seek final unanimity for few main components of the State of the Baltic Sea report (HOLAS II, full name: Second Holistic Assessment of the Ecosystem Health of the Baltic Sea). The final shape of used for the assessment must now be agreed on. The holistic assessment will also rely on the upgraded tools to assess the themes of biodiversity, hazardous substances and eutrophication, improved since the previous Holistic Assessment of 2010, and two of them are expecting final blessings from the delegations this week.One of the many HELCOM outcomes from the past six months include the thoroughly revised HELCOM Response Manual Vol III to Pollution Incidents on the , which the delegates are invited to endorse. Moreover, an agreement is expected on a regional implementation plan for the IMO Water Management Convention, entering into force globally in September next year. Compilations of pollution load data () have been an integral part of HELCOM assessment system since 1987. The next edition, PLC-7, is expecting approval for being prepared by 2020 and covering the data from 1995 until 2017. HELCOM will host a high-level as a part of its Annual Meeting in the end of February 2017 and the agenda will now be discussed. The session will focus on how to achieve ocean-related UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in the Baltic Sea and progress in addressing the regional environmental challenges. The many aligning targets and goals of the UN and HELCOM are the underlying factor for the session. HELCOM is one of 18 Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans in the world working together under the umbrella of UNEP and instrumental in the work on SDGs.The 51st Meeting of the Heads of Delegation will be held on 14-15 December 2016 in Helsinki, Finland and chaired by HELCOM Chair Ms Marianne Wenning, DG Environment, European Union. . All documents will be public after the meeting. * * * Note for editors:An update on the overall state of ecosystem health in the Baltic Sea is underway. Improved tools as well as more comprehensive approaches will be applied in the State of the Baltic Sea report (full name: Second Holistic Assessment of Ecosystem Health in the Baltic Sea, ). This major assessment will assist the region’s environmental managers and decision-makers who are to base their work on sound, up-to-date knowledge of the status of the sea. The State of the Baltic Sea report will develop common concepts and methods for the status assessment based on core indicators; create and test the tools for aggregated results and, finally, perform assessments at a regional scale. Importantly, the assessment will also include a socio-economic analysis, about the costs of a deteriorating marine environment, as well as a selection of optimal measures for improving the status of the sea. The first results will be released in mid-2017 and updated during the following 12 months. * * * HELCOM Heads of Delegation, nominated by the to the Helsinki Convention which are the nine Baltic coastal states as well as the EU, usually meet twice a year. The highest decision-making body of HELCOM, Annual Meeting, convenes usually in March. * * * The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. * * * For more information, please contact:Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi​

Greenlighting key tools and indicators for State of the Baltic Sea report a major issue in HELCOM Heads of Delegation meeting this week.

​​​OPENRISK project on risk assessment methods for spill prevention, preparedness and response purposes covers the Baltic Sea area Revised procedures for on shore spill response endorsed by HELCOM Response group meeting this weekRussia to host 2017 HELCOM operational spill response exercise in Kaliningrad​​Thoroughly revised regional procedures on response to pollution incidents on the shore were approved by the 22nd of the HELCOM Response Working closing yesterday. The revised Manual will be submitted to the 2017 Annual Meeting of HELCOM for final adoption. HELCOM response manual incorporate regional best practice and operational procedures on spill preparedness and response and was first adopted in 1980sOn shore response has also been practiced regionally in recent years. Photo: Maritime Search and Rescue Service​, PolandThe Meeting welcomed also the new HELCOM-led OPENRISK project on risk assessment methods for spill prevention, preparedness and response purposes. The new initiative will last for two years starting January 2017. OPENRISK will involve national institutions but also regional intergovernmental organisations from the wider European area.In addition, Russia welcomed the Baltic Sea coastal countries and EU to the 2017 HELCOM operational spill response exercise that Russia will arrange in the beginning of August 2017 in the Kaliningrad areaThe 22st Meeting of the HELCOM Response Working Group was held on 8-10 November 2016 in Riga, Latvia and chaired by Ms. Heli Haapasaari, Chair of the Response Working Group. All documents are available at the . * * * Note for editors is an intergovernmental organization made up of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union. Founded in 1974, its primary aims as a governing body are to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution, as well as to ensure safe maritime navigation. The official name of HELCOM is the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission; it is the governing body of the Helsinki Convention.​The HELCOM Response Working works to ensure swift national and international responses to maritime pollution incidents, including in case of accident the availability of appropriate equipment and the joint practice of response procedures in cooperation with neighbouring states. The group also coordinates the aerial surveillance of maritime shipping routes to detect oil spills and other potentially harmful 

HELCOM Response group also endorsed the revised procedures for on shore spill response and welcomed that Russia will host the 2017 operational spill response exercise in Kaliningrad.

​​​​​Major sectors in the Baltic Sea spoke out about HELCOM pollution reduction targetsMarine environment protection was high in the agenda of the EUSBSR Strategy Forum in Stockholm this week

Major sectors in the Baltic Sea spoke out about HELCOM pollution reduction targets in this week’s seminar in the EUSBSR Strategy Forum in Stockholm.

​​​​​​​​​International cooperation to respond to spillages of oil and other harmful substances in the Baltic Sea area moves ahead as the HELCOM Manual improves​​The need continues for continuous information exchange and sharing best practises as well as recent developments regarding shore response ​​The substantial milestone of revising the HELCOM Response Manual Vol III about pollution has been reached by the assigned expert , wrapping up their meeting yesterday on a cruise ship voyage to Turku, Finland. The cooperation in combating spillages of oil and other harmful substances in the Baltic Sea area is based on the 1992 Helsinki Convention. The amendment to the Convention on explicit coverage of response on the shore, also drafted by the expert group, stepped into force in 2014. Experts on shore pollution response from seven Baltic coastal countries are happy for the successful completion of their key job.”Finishing the work on the thorough updating and extending of the Manual is a remarkable achievement. The Baltic Sea pollution response has longer traditions at sea than on the shore, and the practices, procedures and authorities in charge often significantly differ between shore and sea – nevertheless cooperation would be crucial in case of a major pollution incident,” says Heli Haapasaari, Chair of HELCOM Response Working who is overseeing the Expert Working Group on Response on the Shore. The Expert Working Group on Response on the Shore has completed its tasks for now but more work is still needed. The group had the consensus that further strengthening of the on shore response cooperation is necessary, and the future need remains for continuous information exchange, and sharing best practises as well as recent developments regarding shore response.  “We look forward to still improve the HELCOM cooperation regarding the shore response and lift it to the next level. In the near future it should be a self-evident part of the response chain,” says Sonja Dobo, the Chair of the Expert Working Group on Response on the Shore. In the relatively small Baltic Sea, with its narrow Danish Straits and a large number of islands and skerries in the north, in case of a polluting accident there is probably not enough time or resources to recover all the oil or other harmful substance at sea – thus some will reach the shore. Pollution on the shore may be of such a magnitude that the national response resources are not adequate for effective counter pollution measures. For this end it is essential to have effective mechanisms established, also covering efficient operations, for international assistance between all the HELCOM countries. The 13th Meeting of the Expert Working Group on Response on the Shore was chaired by Sonja Dobo, Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), Chair of the Group, and held on 22 September 2016. . Access to all documents.  * * * Note for editors works to ensure swift national and international responses to maritime pollution incidents, including in case of accident the availability of appropriate equipment and the joint practice of response procedures in cooperation with neighbouring states. The group also coordinates the released into the Baltic Sea and help identify suspected polluters. The meetings of the HELCOM RESPONSE Group have been held regularly among all Baltic Sea countries and EU for over thirty years.  The Response group includes Expert Working Group on Oiled Wildlife Response (), Expert Working Group on Response on the Shore (), Informal Working Group on Aerial Surveillance () and HELCOM Expert Group on Environmental Risks of Hazardous Submerged Objects (). The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organization of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region. Since 1974, HELCOM has been the governing body of the ‘Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area’, more commonly known as the Helsinki Convention. * * * For more information, please contact:Sonja DoboChair of the HELCOM Expert Working Group on Response on the ShoreSwedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB)Tel:  +46708108279E-mail: sonja.dobo@msb.se Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi

International cooperation to respond to spillages of oil and other harmful substances in the Baltic Sea area moves ahead as the HELCOM Manual improves.

​​​​​​​​​Danish Naval Home Guard vessel MHV 904 Lyø sails 700 nautical miles with 12 crew from Esbjerg on the Danish Atlantic coast to participate in HELCOM oil response exercise off Klaipeda in the Baltic Sea Anyone who has participated or observed a HELCOM Balex Delta oil spill exercise cannot have missed the fleet of small but efficient Danish vessels, towing booms and darting between the bigger vessels. The Danish MHV904 was designated as a surprise team leader in the middle of the oil spill exercise, here towing the boom front left. Photo: Konrad Wrzecionkowski/WWF Poland.These vessels are a part of the Naval Home Guard, staffed with volunteers who often have another full time job. But make no mistake: these are no ordinary volunteers. They are true enthusiasts, many of whom spend another forty hour working week on board their vessels, resulting in highly professional and motivated crews. By a chance HELCOM Secretariat ended up sitting around the same table with the crew of Lyø – one of these Danish home guard vessels, and was inspired by the story behind their long voyage to Klaipeda, Lithuania in June. Last autumn the vessel Lyø, with home pier in Esbjerg, a town on the Atlantic side of Jutland, Denmark, received an invitation from the central office of Naval Home Guard to participate in the 2016 HELCOM Balex Delta in Lithuania. After some consideration the team replied that they would be willing to participate for the first time in this Baltic Sea exercise, despite the long distances. The crew of Lyø, including Frederik Michael Hansen and Kent Jensen pictured here, were happy that the weather was mild all through the way to Klaipeda. Photo: Christian Lindegaard Petersen/HVF 131Preparations for the week-long travel to the exercise took its time. “This kind of relatively long voyage takes long time to prepare. We needed to ensure that we have the right competence on board. In addition, many of us have full time jobs on the side and vacations need to be arranged,” says Communication officer of Lyø, Christina Hald-Andersen.Summer arrived and with it the departure to Lithuania and HELCOM Balex Delta. The voyage from Esbjerg took the crew and ship north along the Jutland coast, cutting through the Limfjorden from Thyborøn to Hals, southward to the Danish island of Bornholm and all the way to Klaipeda on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. The distance was in total around 700 nautical miles or 1300 km. On the way they had met the three other Danish home guard vessels and sailed in convoy the last bit across the southern Baltic.The exercise itself was a very positive experience according to Capitain Ole Thomassen pf MHV904. Photo: Konrad Wrzecionkowski/WWF Poland​”We were very lucky with the weather all the long way to Klaipeda. The ship is somewhat small so rough weather can make life tough on board. However, little waves and light winds made the passage a real pleasure,” says Hald-Andersen.The exercise itself was a very positive experience according to Capitain Ole Thomassen. “We anticipated this as a way to top up our competence as the vessel is not usually participating in oil response exercises. However, we regularly attend international Search and Rescue (SAR) exercises, organised by Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.” “The exercise fulfilled our expectations and was really valuable for us – especially as we were designated team leaders in the second half of the exercise without any previous knowledge. This surprise made us work hard and put our skills to the test. I think we managed well taking into account the circumstances,” the capitain adds.After the exercise Lyø and the other home guard vessels spent a day in port and then set off for the homeward journey. “Next week we will be back on our daily jobs – but one very valuable experience richer,” says Deck Hand Christian Pedersen, offshore consultant in his civilian life. Capitain Ole Thomassen (left) receives  the “Hjemmeværnets
Fortjensttegn” from Commander Anders
Frishøj (right) in Klaipeda.  The Danish Homeguard medal is awarded after particular merits for the benefit of the Home Guard and impeccable character in the service and in private life.Photo: Christian Lindegaard Petersen/HVF 131 ​The Crew of Lyø (MHV904)Ole Thomassen, CapitainChristina Hald-Andersen, Communication officerHans Fredrik Kristensen, NavigatorKent Jensen, MedicMichael Hansen, Deck handPer Madsen, Deck HandChristian Pedersen, Deck handSv. Aage Nielsen, Deck handMargit Korsager, Deck handTorben Peytz, EngineerBirger Olesen, EngineerKim Samsoe, Cook * * *BackgroundBalex Delta operational response exercises have been held annually since 1989. Throughout this time HELCOM has steadily improved the readiness of the countries around the Baltic to jointly respond to oil spills at sea. Regional cooperation on preparedness and response to pollution incidents has however much longer roots, being a part of the first 1974 Helsinki Convention and followed by a series of related Recommendations right at the start of the permanent HELCOM activities in early 1980s.  HELCOM is an intergovernmental organization made up of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union. Founded in 1974, its primary aims as a governing body are to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution, as well as to ensure safe maritime navigation. The official name of HELCOM is the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission; it is the governing body of the Helsinki Convention. * * * For more information, please contact:Hermanni Backer Professional Secretary for Maritime, Response and Fish groups HELCOM Tel:  +358 46 8509199 Skype: helcom02 E-mail: hermanni.backer(at)helcom.fi

Danish Naval Home Guard vessel MHV 904 Lyø sails 700 nautical miles with 12 crew to participate in HELCOM oil response exercise off Klaipeda in the Baltic Sea.

​​​​​​Latvia and Lithuania demonstrate joint onshore capacity at Balex Delta 2016. During Balex Delta regional exercise in Klaipeda this week​, Latvian and Lithuanian teams worked side by side on the shore. This international dimension of the onshore exercise is a new aspect in HELCOM context and demonstrate how the regional response cooperation in the Baltic Sea evolves.​Laura Mazmaca from the Latvian State Environmental Service is happy about the cross-country cooperation. “Latvia and Lithuania have always been close neighbours but lately especially our onshore response cooperation has developed. After a joint firefighting operation in the Neringa area in 2012, our firefighting services purchased joint onshore response equipment as a part of an EU project in 2013. In Balex Delta 2016 we can show the benefits of such close cooperation also to the rest of the Baltic Sea region.” Photo: Konrad Wrzecionkowski/WWF Poland​​​​A ten-person team from the Liepaja department of the Latvian state fire and rescue service participated in this year’s exercise in Klaipeda, 100km to the south from their home across the border in Lithuania. The Latvians exercised alongside four teams from Lithuanian coastal fire and rescue services, seaport authority, municipalities and private companies. In total around a hundred staff participated in the on shore exercise. The Baltic Sea coastal countries have worked hard during last years to enhance regional work on response on the shore. The 1992 Helsinki Convention, the legal basis of HELCOM work, was changed in 2013 to more explicitly cover spill response during situations when pollution has reached the shore. In addition to this formal legal step a targeted expert group, HELCOM Shore, has polished common regional best practices for such international on shore response. But how this international onshore dimension should be exercised in the region is still somewhat open.  Sonja Dobo, Chair of the HELCOM regional shore group and coordinator for oil spill preparedness and response at the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency explains: “Multilateral onshore exercises in the Baltic Sea region is still a rather new and unexplored field and on a very different level of maturity compared to offshore exercises. Roughly a handful of bi- or multilateral onshore exercises have been conducted since 2011 when we got our first experience from Sweden. At that time, four nations in the central Baltic – Sweden, Estonia, Finland and Russia – participated in both a table top and a field exercise on the shore as part of the EU project ENSACO. More than a hundred organisations from eleven counties took part in total.”​Photo: HELCOMHELCOM has an ongoing process to develop Balex Delta operational exercises to make best use of the equipment and staff gathered. Many lessons have been learnt so far as the countries have practiced together at sea for decades while the onshore exercises on a larger scale are only a couple of years old.    Ms Dobo continues: “One thing we learned since the big exercise in 2011 is to keep it simple and focused. Onshore response is a complex field. There are big differences between countries’ legislation and organisational structures as well as our different cultures and languages.””Setting clear aims and goals for the exercise is necessary as well as giving high priority to the evaluation. Every exercise has given a lot of new important knowledge and we need to share these experiences with each other,” she says.However, while field exercises require a lot of resources, planning and conducting a simple table top exercise may also provide much new knowledge for the regional community and could also be explored as a regular element. BackgroundOn the shore response is commonly under the responsibility of municipalities or rescue services and for this reason commonly require additional coordination with the offshore response units. In addition, as the Baltic Sea is a relatively small sea area, a large scale spill may contaminate several kilometres of shoreline and affect both the vegetation and the animals – and require international assistance. In order to be prepared for such severe situations it is essential that effective mechanisms for international assistance between the Helsinki Convention Contracting Parties for pollution incidents on the shore are well established and ready to operate efficiently. HELCOM Response Manual Volume III covers international cooperation on combating spillages of oil and other harmful substances on the shore and the HELCOM Expert Working Group on Response on the Shore (EWG SHORE) works to improve the cooperation.​* * *The

works to ensure swift national and international responses to maritime
pollution incidents, including in case of accident the availability of
appropriate equipment and the joint practice of response procedures in
cooperation with neighbouring states. The group also coordinates the aerial
surveillance of maritime shipping routes to detect oil spills and other potentially harmful substances released into
the Baltic Sea and help identify suspected polluters. The meetings
of the HELCOM Response Group have been held regularly among all Baltic Sea
countries and EU for over thirty years. * * * For more information, please contact:Hermanni BackerProfessional Secretary for Maritime, Response and Fish groupsHELCOMTel:  +358 46 8509199Skype: helcom02E-mail: hermanni.backer(at)helcom.fi​

Latvia and Lithuania demonstrate joint onshore capacity at Balex Delta 2016. This international dimension of the onshore exercise is a new aspect in HELCOM context.

​Ten cubic meters of popcorn played the leading role of a large oil slick today offshore Klaipeda, Lithuania, in the annual Baltic Sea pollution response exercise 2016. Fourteen ships from eight Baltic coastal states formed the HELCOM fleet simulating real life disaster response in a collision between an oil tanker and a trawler, involving a risk of damaging the nearby highly sensitive nature areas with 5,000 tons of crude oil. A large-scale national onshore exercise was organized simultaneously for deployment of the clean-up units as well as coordination between all the actors involved.  The simulated oil accident took place in the middle of particularly sensitive marine and coastal areas north of Klaipeda. The largest maritime counter-pollution drill of its kind in the Baltic Sea area – and one of the largest worldwide – has been a regular HELCOM practice for almost thirty years, in one of the most vulnerable and busiest sea areas in the world. All HELCOM member states take turns in hosting the annual exercise.  Igor Kuzmenko, Chief Coordinator of the exercise was pleased with the proceedings. “Today we set up a full-scale oil recovery operation at the site of the accident, and for the first time some countries’ response vessels, from Denmark, Finland, Latvia and Poland, arrived straight to the spill area, ‘on call’,  for added realism. The ships were successfully deploying oil containment booms and skimming equipment”, he said. The annual HELCOM Balex Delta was hosted this year by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre of the Lithuanian Navy. The shore operation was coordinated by Klaipeda City Fire and Rescue Service. More than forty persons, many from outside the region, signed up as observers of the exercise.The aim of Balex Delta is to test the alarm procedures and the response capability of the HELCOM countries. Cooperation between combating units as well as staff functions are tested and trained for. Communication between the involved units during the exercise is also practiced by all the participating countries, as well as the interaction between offshore response units and shoreline clean-up units. At the same time, thanks to this year’s large onshore response exercise, the national capabilities and alert procedures concerning shoreline clean-up will also be tested. The response vessels of HELCOM fleet were successfully deploying oil containment booms and skimming equipment​.Background operational response exercises have been held annually since 1989. Throughout this time HELCOM has steadily improved the readiness of the countries around the Baltic to jointly respond to oil spills at sea. Regional cooperation on preparedness and response to pollution incidents has however much longer roots, being a part of the first 1974 Helsinki Convention and followed by a series of related Recommendations right at the start of the permanent HELCOM activities in the early 1980s. The first meeting of the expert group on pollution response took place in 1977. Today, with 80 per cent of global merchandise trade by volume carried by sea and handled by ports worldwide[1], the economic importance of maritime transport – and the risk of collisions and other accidents – cannot be overemphasized. In the Baltic Sea, ship traffic is dense and maritime transport has been in the increase in the recent past.[1] UNCTAD, Review of Maritime Transport 2013.   * * * Note to Editors:The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as the Helsinki Commission, or , is an intergovernmental organisation of all the nine Baltic Sea countries and the EU which works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution. HELCOM is the governing body of the “Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area,” known as the Helsinki Convention.  * * * For more information, please contact:Heli HaapasaariChair of HELCOM Response Working GroupFinnish Environment Institute – SYKETel: +358 40 1793050E-mail: heli.haapasaari(at)environment.fi Johanna LaurilaInformation SecretaryHELCOMTel: +358 40 523 8988Skype: helcom70E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi Hermanni BackerProfessional Secretary for Maritime and ResponseHELCOMTel:  +358 46 8509199Skype: helcom02E-mail: hermanni.backer(at)helcom.fi

Fourteen ships formed the HELCOM fleet today offshore Klaipeda, Lithuania, which took action in disaster response simulation involving an oil tanker and a trawler.

​What                     Oil response exercise HELCOM Balex Delta 2016 When                   Tuesday 21 June 2016 at 09.00–15.00 (CET). Operational phase at sea and on the shore. Debriefing at 18.00–19.00                                                                Who                      Fifteen specially equipped response vessels from eight Baltic coastal countries; Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden, and around 120 participants of the national shoreline response exercise.                                 Where                  Exercise area at sea: North of Klaipeda port, LithuaniaExercise area on the shore: Karkle beach, north of Klaipeda town in front of Zilvitis camp Exercise debriefing: Amberton Klaipeda Hotel, Naujojo Sodo g. 1C WhyThe HELCOM Balex Delta exercise simulates a large real life oil catastrophe in one of the most vulnerable – and busiest – sea areas in the world. The goal is to recover as much oil as possible in the open sea before it would reach the shores, as estimates are that this is roughly ten times more cost-efficient than shoreline clean-up. The annual HELCOM Balex Delta is hosted this year by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre of the Lithuanian Navy. The shore operation is coordinated by Klaipeda City Fire and Rescue Service. More than forty persons, many from outside the region, have signed up as observers of the exercise. The exercise programme, list of participating units at sea and on shore, as well as the list of vessels and equipment are provided as attachments. HELCOM Balex Delta, organized since the late 1980s, test the procedures documented in the HELCOM Response Manual and the response capability of the HELCOM member countries in case of a major accident and an international response operation. The general objective of the Balex Delta exercises is to ensure that every Contracting Party is able to lead a major response operation. Media representatives are asked to apply for accreditationby 17 June 2016, by providing contact information (name, media, e-mail, phone number) to:antanas.brencius@mil.lt. * * *Note for editors:The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as , is an intergovernmental organisation of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union working to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution and to ensure safety of navigation in the region.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, from 1974. * * *For further information, please contact:Johanna Laurila (Ms)Information SecretaryHELCOMMobile: +358 40 523 8988E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi Antanas Brencius (Mr.)Civil-Military Co-operation (CIMIC) OfficerMaritime rescue coordination centerTel: +370 46 391 207Mobile: +370 698 18 196E-mail: antanas.brencius@mil.lt

The annual oil response exercise HELCOM Balex Delta 2016 will be held in Klaipeda, Lithuania on 21 June – please accreditate by 17 June 2016.

​​​Half of detections substance other than oil The number of oil spills in the Baltic Sea detected through daily aerial surveillance reached an ​​all-time low again in 2015. According to the annual now available, also the size of spills spotted in the region continue to decline following long-term trends. Striking is that half (49%) of all spill detections were identified as substances other than oil or as unknown observations—highlighting the ongoing need to track various kinds of spills. Nonoil-based discharges, which only have been reported to HELCOM since 2014, are not as strictly regulated as oil in the Baltic Sea and may cause threats to the marine environment. Collecting data on the frequency, size and nature of such spills is essential to understanding the environmental impacts of different kinds of substances on the Baltic Sea.  According to the HELCOM report, a total of 82 mineral oil spills were identified in the Baltic Sea by air in 2015, with the overwhelming majority (98%) limited to an area of one cubic metre (1 m3) or less. Almost three-quarters (78%) were smaller than 100 litres or 0.1 m3.The total flight time dedicated to spill detection by the HELCOM member countries has dropped in recent years with an average of around 4,000 hours per year being logged in 2014 and 2015. This is a significant fall from the 10-year average of over 4,500 flight hours a year—a fact that may play a factor in the decreasing number of detections made. Regional aerial continues to be vital to detecting oil spills and other potentially harmful substances released into the Baltic Sea. It also acts as a deterrent to ships, thus preventing violations to regulations on ship pollution. When a spill is discovered, if possible, the identity of a polluter is established and the spill is sampled from both the sea surface and on-board the suspected offending ship to enable prosecution.In addition to regular, nationally led flights, high-intensity operations are organized on a yearly basis to bolster compliance levels to anti-pollution regulations. During such operations a selected area is continuously surveyed together by a number of countries up to several days. * *Note for editors:Cooperation between Baltic coastal countries on spill-related dates back to the 1980s as a result of HELCOM efforts to protect the marine environment. Data on ship spills identified by aerial surveillance is reported on a yearly basis by most HELCOM member states; the current HELCOM annual report covers data conducted with fixed-wing aircraft from 1988 to 2015. The purpose of aerial surveillance is to detect spills of oil and other harmful substances which can threaten the marine environment. If possible, the identity of a polluter should be established and a spill sampled from both the sea surface and the suspected offender on board.Data on illegal discharges observed during national aerial surveillance activities of the coastal states in the Baltic Sea area are compiled by HELCOM every year.Co-operation on aerial surveillance within the Baltic Sea area has been established within the framework of the Helsinki Convention and coordinated by the Informal Working Group on Aerial Surveillance (). This requires the Contracting Parties to conduct regular surveillance outside their coastlines and to develop and apply, individually or in cooperation, surveillance activities covering the Baltic Sea area in order to spot and monitor oil and other substances released into the sea. Contracting Parties are also supposed to coordinate surveillance activities which take place outside territorial waters. * * *Working to safeguard the marine environment from pollution and ensure safe navigation in the Baltic Sea, acts as the governing body of the 1974 Helsinki Convention. Its official name is the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission. ​* * * For more information, please contact:Laura Meski Assistant Professional Secretary HELCOM +358 40 162 2053 Skype: helcom82 E-mail: laura.meski(at)helcom.fi Johanna Laurila Information Secretary HELCOM Tel: +358 40 523 8988 Skype: helcom70 E-mail: johanna.laurila(at)helcom.fi​​

Striking is that half (49%) of all spill detections were identified as substances other than oil or as unknown observations—highlighting the ongoing need to track various kinds of spills.