Effects of Oil on Wildlife Conference

Now announcing virtual attendance for Tues 14 October!

We are excited to offer a virtual ticket that will allow registrants to access a livestream of all the conference presentations held on Tuesday 14 October (8:30am to 4:15pm GMT+2). This includes our keynote address by conservationist Anton Wolfaardt. See the agenda tab for all of the presentations planned for Tuesday. This ticket will also give you access to a recording of the Tuesday sessions after the conference has concluded. Register here!

The Effects of Oil on Wildlife Conference (EOW) is an international event that brings together researchers, conservationists, policymakers, and industry to address the impact of oil spills on wildlife. It is the only global event that focuses on the planning, response, rehabilitation, release and research aspects of oil spills and their effects on wildlife. EOW aims to foster collaboration, share knowledge and exchange ideas to advance the field of oiled wildlife preparedness and response. 

This year, the EOW will be hosted in Cape Town, South Africa, which presents a great opportunity to engage individuals, agencies, and organizations in that region to participate in the conference which shines a spotlight on our amazing Host Organization – The South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB). 

The first theme of this EOW will be the 25th Anniversary of the MV Treasure Oil Spill, the largest animal rescue effort in the world, where over 20,000 African Penguins were cleaned, rehabilitated and released while an additional 20,000 penguins were pre-emptively captured to prevent oil exposure. In fact, more penguins were cared for during the Treasure spill than exist in the wild today. Considering that fact, think about the impact those responders made on an entire species population by banding together to achieve the impossible.

The plight of the African Penguin provides our second theme: the Conservation of African Penguins. This species was recently uplisted to critically endangered status by the IUCN following a 97% decline in their population. The doomsday clock is counting down, and African Penguins are scientifically predicted to go extinct in the wild in less than 4,000 days if this alarming rate of decline continues. We need your support, your voice and international attention to this dire issue. 

The final theme, which encompasses the history of the Treasure Spill and current extinction threats to African Penguins, is International Collaboration. Were it not for the heroic efforts of International Bird Rescue, International Fund for Animal Welfare, SANCCOB, and others, stepping up to the challenge of managing the world’s largest animal rescue, we might not have African Penguins in the wild today. We also aim to highlight the Global Oiled Wildlife Response System (GOWRS) network and their efforts to adopt a strategy to address global oiled wildlife response and preparedness around the world. 

Registration

Click here to register!

We want to make the impact of this EOW count, so each registration includes an Adopt-a-Penguin to support SANCCOB’s African Penguin Chick Rearing Program.

See “Registration FAQ” tab for more information.

Are you a Treasure Spill Responder? 

We want to hear from you! We will be looking for photos, video and personal stories from Treasure Responders, even if you are not able to attend EOW in person. We will be displaying photos, anecdotes and video testimonials from Treasure responders to share their stories and honor those that helped participate in the largest animal rescue effort in the world! Start digging through your old photos now and click here for more information. 

Source: SANCCOB