Line of action:

Marine ecosystems

Status:

Finalizado

Execution date:

2020

End date:

2022

Total budget:

61.556,00 €

Amount of aid from the Biodiversity Foundation:

40.398,11 €

According to the entity, although in recent years progress has been made in the preparation of a response to oil spills on the coast and at sea, there is no training system in Spain to ensure a good, professional and coordinated response to events with the arrival of oiled fauna.

It is therefore urgent to integrate the response with petroleumed fauna into the general response system and to adequately train the agents who will be responsible for this response both on the beach and at the recovery center. This project aims to begin this training by introducing the standardized European “Train the trainers” EUROWA system.

The main objective of the project is to improve the response capacity on Spanish coasts in the event of oil spills affecting fauna.

Specific goals include:

• To adapt EUROWA’s training material and its training system for long-term application in Spain.
• Train agents involved in the response to oiled fauna both on the beach (search and capture) and at the recovery center (stabilization and washing) in two autonomous communities.

• Translation of materials into Spanish and adaptation of their design.
• Printing of 300 units of the basic manual and 250 units of the advanced manual in Spanish.
• Previous preparation to be able to teach the courses within the EUROWA format and certification.
• Basic Responder” course in Catalonia and Asturias.
• Advanced Responder Field” course in Catalonia and Asturias.
• Completion of the “Advanced Responder Rescue Centre” course in Catalonia.
• Dissemination and communication of the project.

• Two manuals developed by EUROWA have been translated into Spanish: the Basic Manual for Oiled Wildlife Response and the Advanced Manual Animal Care in an Oiled Wildlife Response.
• Ten training courses were given, with a strong practical component. A total of 197 people from the governments of Asturias and Catalonia have been trained: 138 at a basic level, 43 people at an advanced level of search and rescue on the beach and 16 at an advanced level of rescue center.
• The fact that they are trained according to EUROWA’s structure and protocols ensures that, in the event of a major incident where international assistance is required, they can easily work hand in hand with trained personnel in other countries, with the entire team following the same standardized protocols.