The objective of the COASTCLEAN project is to strengthen Lithuania’s and Latvia’s preparedness to respond to oil pollution incidents and to ensure appropriate care for wildlife affected by such incidents. The project aims to integrate wildlife rescue and rehabilitation into the overall oil spill response system, develop and test joint Lithuanian–Latvian response procedures, and strengthen the practical preparedness of specialists and relevant institutions.
Project duration: 24 months
Total project budget: EUR 997,718.40
Lead partner: Fire and Rescue Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania
Project partners: State Fire and Rescue Service of Latvia; Lithuanian Sea Museum
The Baltic Sea is a shared natural environment for Lithuania and Latvia, and therefore pollution risks do not stop at national borders. Increasing maritime traffic and the geopolitical situation raise the risk of oil and petroleum product spills. Such incidents can have long-term consequences for marine ecosystems and wildlife, and effective rescue of affected animals requires both countries to be prepared to act quickly and in a coordinated manner.
The project will:
develop joint Lithuanian–Latvian procedures for wildlife rescue and rehabilitation;
strengthen the capacity of the Lithuanian Sea Museum to receive and rehabilitate wildlife affected by pollution;
upgrade and expand mobile wildlife rehabilitation infrastructure and equipment;
organise training, practical exercises and joint response scenario testing;
strengthen cooperation between Lithuanian and Latvian emergency services, environmental authorities, NGOs and other relevant partners.
Oil pollution in the Baltic Sea does not respect national borders. An oil spill can reach the coastline of another country within a short period of time, while the number of affected animals may exceed the response capacity of a single country. Effective response therefore requires common procedures, coordinated actions, and the sharing of expertise, equipment and resources.
COASTCLEAN will enable Lithuania and Latvia to prepare to act as one team in the event of a major pollution incident in the Baltic Sea. The project focuses not only on preparedness for a potential emergency, but also on practical testing of response capacities: the procedures and solutions developed will be tested through training sessions and joint exercises.
