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NGO Headed for the Maritime Oscars |
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BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, Apr. 14 -/E-Wire/--
(Brussels, Belgium - 14 April 2008) The Sea Alarm Foundation has been shortlisted for the most prestigious of all awards in the maritime sector – the internationally renowned Seatrade Awards, sometimes dubbed the “Oscars for Shipping“.
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Roelf de Boer, Chair of Sea Alarm, stated that “making it to the short-list for a Seatrade Award in the Protection of the Marine and Atmospheric Environment category is in itself a great honour when you see the list of those companies and organizations that have won in the past and those that have been nominated in this special 20th Anniversary year. Getting this far serves as recognition of Sea Alarm’s important role and considerable achievements to date in increasing the professionalism and effectiveness of oiled wildlife response capabilities and networks across Europe.”
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Roelf de Boer will attend the Award Ceremony at the historic Guildhall in the City of London on 21 April, accompanied by Vice-Chair Dr Ian White and General Manager Hugo Nijkamp. The event will bring together la crandegrave me de la crandegrave me of the maritime industry, presided over on this Anniversary occasion by a very special guest, Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, The Princess Anne. All the guests are kept in suspense as the winners are chosen just hours before the Award ceremony by a panel of independent industry leaders, chaired by Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization.
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Note to Editors:
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Sea Alarm’s mission is to improve the professionalism and effectiveness of the rescue and rehabilitation of oiled birds and other wildlife, first within Europe, and then on a global scale. Sea Alarm is widely recognized by governments, the oil and maritime industries, and NGOs as an independent facilitator, building bridges between all key players and encouraging the adoption of best practices.
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Sea Alarm’s achievements include:
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writing the national oiled wildlife response plan for Belgium
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initiating and assisting the preparedness and response activities in the Baltic States, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain and The Netherlands
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leading an EU co-funded project to develop a European Oiled Wildlife Response Plan
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responding to oiled wildlife incidents throughout Europe
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facilitating training for oiled wildlife responders
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embarking on a joint programme with OSRL/EARL, an oil industry owned company, to enhance oil spill preparedness and
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drafting a number of guidance documents and handbooks.
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All of this and more has been achieved by an organization that currently only has two full-time employees in Brussels, Belgium and a limited budget.
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Much remains to be done to protect birds and other wildlife around the globe from the damaging effects of oil pollution and to reassure the general public that this important facet of oil spill response is receiving the high level of attention it deserves. It is hoped that being short-listed for a Seatrade Award will lead to a greater understanding of this important issue by all involved and a consequent broadening of support for Sea Alarm’s vital work.
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Contact Info:
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Rosalie e’Silva
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Communications Officer
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T +32 2 278 8744
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M + 32 475 82 48 41
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E rosalie@sea-alarm.org
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W www.sea-alarm.org
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Website : Sea Alarm
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