Anti-vandalism

Simple acts of vandalism of buoys, both deliberate and accidental, and problems linked with fishing are major ongoing problems in many parts of the world. For example, incidents of buoys caught in trawl-nets or entangled in fishing lines are fairly frequent. The Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP) has addressed the problem for many years and considers that ongoing actions to prevent vandalism are required.

At its 26th session (27 - 30 September 2010, Oban, United Kingdom), DBCP established the Working Group on data buoy Vandalism with the primary objective of ensuring the continued attention within the DBCP, WMO and IOC to the subject of buoy vandalism and to the discovery, sharing and promotion of counter-vandalism best practices throughout the international buoy operator community.

The objectives of the working group are:

• to share lessons learned in counter vandalism efforts among buoy network operators;
• to facilitate a conversation among buoy operators on counter vandalism approaches; including technical, educational, operational, and enforcement approaches;
• to facilitate a conversation on the development of best practices to mature the various methodologies used to quantify the impacts of buoy vandalism; and
• to serve as a communication channel within the DBCP for further information requests on the subject of vandalism following the release of the WMO vandalism report.

WMO Executive Council (EC-70, Decision-28) and IOC Executive Council (Decision EC-XLIX/3.4, Part III) adopted the Outreach Strategy to Reduce Damage to Ocean Data Buoys From Vandalism.

DBCP's Working Group on Vandalism Strategy presented at the 33th session of the DBCP.