International Maritime Organization

The IMO is a UN agency which aims to promote secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans. A number of key maritime international conventions relating to oil pollution were developed by the IMO and details of these and their ratification status by countries around the world can be found on the site.

IMO works very closely with national governments and the oil and shipping industries to promote effective preparedness, response and cooperation in the event of major oil spills. This includes support to training courses and conferences around the world.

International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA)

IPIECA has an Oil Spill Working Group (OSWG), established in 1987, which serves as a key international forum to help improve oil spill contingency planning and response around the world.

A highly regard series of reports on aspects of oil spill response have been produced, all of which are available as PDF file on the Website. A number of these are translated into languages other than English.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Oil Pollution Gateway

This site provides comprehensive information on oil pollution information sources, with extensive links to other sites. A particularly useful section of this site provides information on a regional basis.

International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation

ITOPF provides objective technical advice, expertise, assistance and information on effective response to ship-source pollution. The organization has probably responded to more oil spills than any other.

Their site provides a variety of relevant information including very useful country and regional profiles, which can be downloaded.

International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds

The International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds) are three intergovernmental organizations (the 1971 Fund, the 1992 Fund and the Supplementary Fund) which provide compensation for oil pollution damage resulting from spills of persistent oil from tankers.

The site contains various information resources including the Claims Manual, which gives guidance on how to submit claims in the event of a tanker spill (available in English, French and Spanish)

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

The NOAA site contains extensive resources for the oil and chemical spill responders, including a large number of reports on scientific aspects of spills.

You may also download free software tools to aid responders, including the very useful ADIOS oil weathering model

Cleanup Oil

This site is the most comprehensive International Directory of Oil Spill Cleanup Contractors and Response Organizations (OSRO's), Pollution Cleanup Contractors and closely related service companies. This resource provides a most useful tool to contractors, planners, insurers and anyone in need of an oil spill responder

UNEP - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC)

The UNEP WCMC site provides access to the Interactive Mapping Service (IMapS), which is a comprehensive online mapping resource for global and regional biodiversity and environmental data.

Oil Spill Preparedness Regional Initiative (Caspian Sea – Black Sea – Central Eurasia)

OSPRI , the ‘Oil Spill Preparedness Regional Initiative (Caspian Sea – Black Sea – Central Eurasia)', has been established by a group of oil companies to work cooperatively with governments to promote proven, credible, integrated and sustainable oil spill response capability in the region. IPIECA is the umbrella organisation under which OSPRI functions

Regional Clean Seas Organization (RECSO)

In its full form, RECSO spells the Regional Clean Sea Organisation. As the title clearly indicates, RECSO is an oil industry co-operative organisation functioning on the concept of "mutual aid".

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

IFAW and IBBRC jointly operate an oiled wildlife rescue and rehabilitation team, bringing together over thirty years of experience of oiled wildlife response and a global network of wildlife care. The sites provide further information on their services including details of recent response activities.

International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC)

European Maritime Safety Agency