The project “RESPONDER: a training program for response to oiled marine fauna on the Spanish coasts” begins, with the support of the Biodiversity Foundation, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. This pilot project will be carried out in Catalonia and Asturias throughout 2021 and part of 2022 in collaboration with the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Generalitat of Catalonia and the Council of Rural Affairs and Territorial Cohesion of the Government of Asturias.

The accidental or intentional dumping of hydrocarbons or other chemical compounds into the sea seriously affects the marine environment and can cause serious damage to fauna derived from the different toxic effects of these substances. Acting in a coordinated, swift, knowledgeable, and efficient manner allows these damages to be minimized.

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

The RESPONDER project will carry out training activities related to assisting oiled fauna in the event of spills. This training is based on the system of the European EUROWA Network, of which SUBMON is a member, to create a network of personnel trained uniformly throughout Europe, who can be exchanged between countries in case of emergency, working with the same quality standards and action protocols.

Several activities are planned, including translating into Spanish and printing basic and advanced EUROWA manuals, completing basic and advanced courses in search and capture of animals on beaches in both autonomous communities and an advanced course in a recovery center Catalonia. The courses will be mainly aimed at rural agents, environmental NGOs and volunteers, and staff and volunteers from the wildlife recovery centers in Catalonia and Asturias.