From 27 February to 3 March, the first discussion-based exercise (DBX) EU MODEX Marine Pollution and the closing interactive conference were held in Porvoo, Finland. 44 participants from 14 Member States representing all European sea regions discussed what it takes to respond to a complex maritime incident with severe impacts at sea and on shore.
The exercise enabled participants to look at the complex scenario holistically - from its onset, through the alert, rescue of life at sea, environmental impact and response, to the aspects of long-term environmental monitoring and socio-economic impact. Each phase, facilitated by visualisation on virtual reality, required to focus on priorities but also to anticipate and prepare for the next step.
The exercise also challenged the participants to apply integrated management approach by involving different national and international actors, which became an excellent example of cross-sectoral coordination. In the discussions, at-sea and shoreline responders, environmental and civil protection experts could better understand each other’s roles and goals, challenges and available support mechanisms and experience the continuity of one at-sea/on-shore response operation. When in doubt, they could fall back on the support from the facilitators and ‘’floating’’ subject matter experts from legal, ship-owner, insurance and wildlife response fields, European Commission’s department for civil protection and humanitarian aid (ECHO) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).
Overall, the exercise provided a constructive and challenging environment that pushed participants to map out all aspects of as well as resources and mechanisms involved in maritime incidents of this type. It was also a good opportunity for networking and information-sharing between marine pollution and civil protection communities. A visit to a nearby EMSA’s depo of marine pollution response equipment was a nice bonus.
The final conference facilitated discussions on the consolidated findings from the DBX, featured two real case studies and presentations on research and developments to enhance responder training and operational preparedness to the old and new maritime risks.
What made this exercise unique for me was that it contained most of the phases that are in a maritime incident.
There were many learnings and takeaways that are now in the hands of each participant to spread in their own organisations, national structures and within regional cooperation agreements. We also brought new ideas back to ECHO. Be it an off-/on-shore coordination and the need of a common situational awareness platform, a regional or European expert task force to support management of complex maritime incidents, a lessons learned platform, claims management checklist, building competency to use available tools and systems, management of self-mobilised citizens or oiled wild life response – there is a lot that can be done if the MODEX spirit is taken further.
Many participants recognized that DBX methodology is an excellent tool to exercise complex scenarios also at national and regional level, given high cost of organising a full-scale exercise.
Sectors