We recently facilitated an Oiled Wildlife Response Workshop in Shetland, Scotland. The workshop brought together local and national wildlife response stakeholders to discuss and hopefully enhance oiled wildlife preparedness for Shetland and the wider UK. Attendees included the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), members of the Shetland Oiled Wildlife Network (SOWN), Shetland Island Council (SIC) and representatives from the oil and gas industry.
The workshop lasted a day and a half and brought together key national and regional stakeholders from the industry, government, and non-governmental organisations to develop a shared understanding of the challenges and resources required in responding to an oiled wildlife incident on the Shetland Islands. It also identified future needs and actions to improve response preparedness.
The event was hosted at the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary, a key member of the SOWN, with lunch and meeting room facilities provided by the St Magnus Hotel nearby. Participants were given a tour of the Hillswick facility and an OSRL-led demonstration of the OSRL Shetland Base Tier 2 oiled wildlife equipment stockpile before participants were guided through a tabletop exercise and follow-up discussion.
The event was a great success with some tangible outcomes that should lead to improvement of wildlife response capability on Shetland. It has also fostered collaboration between national stakeholders in looking at the wider UK response structure.
A huge thanks to the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary and their current residents, Munro and Frankie, a pair of common seals.