It can be done
Curt Clumpner International Bird Rescue Dr Mike Ziccardi Oiled Wildlife Care Network
March 8,2011 Malmo, Sweden
Frontier Area Response
Key Issues y Safety y y Pre-planning y Trained Personnel
Case Study Selendang Ayu Case C St Study d D Deep W Water t H Horizon i Conclusions
Safety Incident specific risk assessment for wildlife Management structure to make informed decisions Personnel
y Trained T i d and d equipped i d ffor th the potential t ti l
hazards
Appropriate equipment to accomplish the task safely
Response it all comes down to planning and preparation Assessment Hazing /Collection Transport Rehabilitation Release
Personnel Equipment Facilities Management
Decision Tree –Pre-planned Capability
Personnel
Trained Experienced capture Experienced p working g in remote areas
Case Study 1 - Selendang Ayu December 2004
Capture to Rehab
Dutch Harbor Selendang Ayu
Wildlife Recovery Platforms
Cape Flattery - 51 m Research Vessel
F/V Exito - 38 m Crab Boat
Alaska Wildlife Response Center - Anchorage
Case Study 2 - Deepwater Horizon Split Wildlife Response Birds Marine Mammals & S T Sea Turtles tl Off-shore collection MM Turtle only MM-Turtle
Sea Turtles Loggerhead - Threatened
Kemp’s Ridley - Endangered
Others: Leatherback
Green- Endangered
Hawksbill - Endangered
Personnel
Command Post
Facility
y UC Davis & NOAA
y Stranding network
Field
members b y Some contracted staff from other regions from other regions (AZA)
y NOAA regional
stranding t di coordinators y Stranding network members y Key biologists ○ USFWS, FFWC, IRG,
Riverhead
Stranding Response Stranding Response •
Distressed, sick Distressed sick, inj injured, red or dead marine mammals & sea turtles on the beach or floating g – Live animals transported to rehabilitation – Dead animals necropsied to determine cause of
death
Pre-existing networks for both sea turtles & mammals • Reports from responder teams in the field (clean-up crews, SCAT, etc.) and the general public • Calls made to response teams • Daily a y reporting epo g from o field e d to o coo coordinators d a o s to o UC •
At Sea Captures At‐Sea Captures 1‐3 Dedicated 12‐15m vessels ( /d di (w/dedicated aerial helo d i l h l support)) Launched from 1‐3 ports
y Target search area: oil lines and oiled g
weedlines
Personnel: Trained experienced sea turtle biologists g Capture: Dipnets, placed in kiddie pool
y Not vigorously swimming turtles Not vigorously swimming turtles
Stabilization: On board by veterinarian
Offshore Search Efforts for Sea Turtles, 17 May—8 August 2010
Results
Turtles: 1149 y Live: Live: 536 536 ○ 456 oiled (11 stranded, 445 captured at sea) ○ 80 unoiled ○ 466 released y D Dead: 613 d 613 ○ 18 oiled, 438 unoiled ○ 157 pending 157 pending y Species: Green,
Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley
Mammals: 119 y Live: Live: 10 10 ○ 2 oiled, 8 unoiled ○ 4 released y Dead: 109 ○ 5 oiled, 99 unoiled ○ 5 pending y Species: Bottlenose,
spinner, sperm/pygmy spinner sperm/pygmy sperm, Melon‐headed
Challenges
Supporting S pporting teams departing dail daily from three ports travelling 50-130 km offshore very challenging g g y Safety ○ PPE requirements: 40-43C o heat index required p modified procedures y Logistics ○ Ensuring supplies, equipment and personnel support difficult at a distance y Communications ○ Had to rely on satellite phones, marine radios y Interactions with other operations ○ Teams operation in or near “burn box” so needed to ensure all were aware of wildlife operations
Conclusions Pre-planning is essential for safety, success and cost containment Incident Specific Risk Assessment Trained, Trained experienced personnel Weather is the wildcard Flexibility in planning, supervision and on the ground g Manage expectations
Thanks US Fish and Wildlife Service US Coast Guard National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration WMU & IMO