M3-D
Risk perceptions about fish and aquacultureMaryland A 3:30 PM
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| Chair(s): Ragnar Lofstedt ragnar.lofstedt@kcl.ac.uk
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| Eating fish offers many well-established health benefits, but modern aquaculture raises some issues that influence risk perceptions and create challenges for communicating the risks and benefits of fish consumption. This session explores the themes of Frankenfish, consumer risk perceptions of salmon aquaculture and the Swinomish Tribal Community's traditional seafood human health risk assessment. Speakers will discuss communication of food risks in context of nutrition and using a stakeholder-driven, collaborative research process for risk management. |
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M3-D.1 3:30 PM Learning about Frankenfish. Longstaff H*; The University of British Columbia longstaf@interchange.ubc.ca
Abstract: The salmon aquaculture industry in British Columbia (BC) Canada has been the subject of a great deal of negative media attention since its inception in the mid 1980s. Notable critics include Greenpeace, the Georgia Strait Alliance, and a collective of eleven conservation and First Nations groups, including the David Suzuki Foundation, that support the "Farmed and Dangerous" campaign. Canadian regulators are currently considering AquAdvantageâ„¢ salmon for human consumption. If approved, this fish would be the first transgenic animal available for human consumption in Canada and critical pressure on the industry would likely increase substantially. The findings of our mental model risk communication experiment show that the public has significant misconceptions about genomic inputs for salmon aquaculture which may hinder their ability to make good decisions about these topics. Further, public consultations recently conducted by Genome BC find that some British Columbians believe that GM salmon are already being grown in farms along the coast. It appears that industry proponents are failing to educate the public about genomic inputs for finfish aquaculture and have not prepared the public for the potential arrival of a novel animal. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of risk communication efforts concerning salmon aquaculture and genomics in BC and compare them to genomic related communication campaigns produced by other Canadian organizations. Although the focus of this paper is genomic inputs for salmon farming, lessons learned through this analysis should be useful to organizations interested in engaging the public about other genomic issues. Our results indicate that our lay public sample is both eager and able to learn new information about genomic science and salmon aquaculture. We argue that industry and government must begin to actively engage the public in risk communication efforts about these topics before novel technologies appear on the market.
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M3-D.2 3:50 PM Consumer risk perceptions of salmon aquaculture: Mental models research in a Canadian government context. Thorne S*, Butte G, DiNova J, Eggers S; Decision Partners sthorne@decisionpartners.com
Abstract: Uncertainty about the health impacts of contaminants in farmed-raised salmon has heightened concern in the scientific, regulatory and consumer advocate communities about the benefit-risk tradeoffs of farmed fish. Intense media scrutiny surrounding health and environmental impacts of aquaculture operations was also believed to be influencing the confidence of Canadian consumers with respect to farmed salmon and the aquaculture industry in general. A mental models research approach was used to help Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) gain insight into factors influencing consumer decisions to consume fish, farmed salmon in particular. Mental models research uses semi-structured, open-ended interviews to reveal individual thinking in-depth, focusing on influences involved in decision-making and behavior. An "expert model" - a visual integration of expert knowledge - about farmed salmon and consumer purchasing was developed from a workshop with DFO and other regulatory and industry experts. This model guided development of an interview protocol and served as the analytical framework for analyzing results of interviews with 60 Canadian consumers from three communities. Qualitative analysis provided insight into interviewees' perception of the benefits and risks of famed salmon, as well as factors influencing health, environmental and socio-economic perceptions. We will focus on the key findings of this research: 1) the primary influences on consumer decision-making regarding the health benefits of farmed salmon; 2) the primary risks associated with farmed salmon; and 3) how perceptions of Canadian aquaculture industry practices were revealed as a primary influence on decisions. The practical application of this research will inform the development of strategic communications within government.
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M3-D.3 4:10 PM Results from the Swinomish Tribal Community's traditional seafood human health risk assessment. Donatuto J*, Harper B; Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, University of British Columbia, AESE, Inc, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation jdonatuto@swinomish.nsn.us
Abstract: This presentation will provide an overview of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community's recently completed Bioaccumulative Toxics in Native American Shellfish Project. The purpose of the research, initiated in 2002, was to investigate and elucidate concerns about chemical contamination in locally harvested seafood and possible human health effects from harvesting and consumption of that seafood. Throughout the project, we have found that risk assessments fail to adequately capture risks and resultant effects in Native American communities. We will present the results from the project's human health risk assessment of two species of clams, associated sediment, and Dungeness crab, which were tested for heavy metals, organotins, PCBs (both aroclors and the WHO list congeners), chlorinated pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and dioxins/-furans. We will also discuss shortcomings of the current risk assessment methodology, data gaps and uncertainties, and provide alternatives to remedy some of these faults. As an example of the shortcomings of current risk assessment, conventional fish consumption survey methods are not suitable for tribal data collection, and generally result in inaccurate and misinterpreted data. The Swinomish Tribal Community has created an alternative method, called "seafood diet interviews," using both statistical and ethnographic methods. The goal is to develop a "seafood basket" that reflects both traditional and currently suppressed ingestion rate data. The recognition of different diets is important to accurately describe risks and protect subsets of tribal members now and in the future. Other topics to be touched upon include: the use of traditional harvesting techniques in sampling procedures, culturally competent mitigation options, and selection of culturally appropriate outreach and education efforts.*
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M3-D.4 4:30 PM Communicating food risks in context of nutrition. Tran NL*, Barraj L, Smith K, Petersen B; Exponent, Inc ntran@exponent.com
Abstract: Controversies concerning the discovery of toxic environmental and industrial contaminants in foods have continued in recent years. Acrylamide has been found in a broad range of foods, which contribute important nutrients, including calories, vitamins, minerals, and protein. Detectable levels of perchlorate have also been found in foods that are the major sources of calcium, vitamins A and D, antioxidants and water soluble vitamins, such as milk, lettuce, and other fruits and vegetables. While it is well established that some fish are contaminated with methyl mercury, the American Heart Association continues to recommend consumption of at least two servings of fish per week for cardio-protective effects. Detectable benzene levels have been found in a wide range of beverages and are focus of recent media attention. Given that foods are the principle sources of human nutrition, public health risks from dietary exposure to chemical contaminants in foods need to be presented in context of the nutritional benefits associated with the foods under consideration. Options to communicate the risks of exposure to several contaminants in foods and the nutritional benefits associated with these food sources to the general public are explored in this paper.
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M3-D.5 4:50 PM Stakeholder driven, collaborative research with risks from consumption of marine fish and shellfish. Burger J, Gochfeld M*, Powers CW, Kosson D, Halverson J, Siekaniek G, Morkill A, Patrick R, Duffy L, Barnes D; Rutgers State University, Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation burger@biology.rutgers.edu
Abstract: A wide range of stakeholders should be included in the problem formulation phase of research aimed at solving environmental problems. We advocate the additional inclusion of stakeholders in the refinement of research methods and protocols and in the execution of the research, rather than just at the final communication phase. We use a study of potential radionuclide levels in marine biota around Amchitka Island as a case study. Amchitka Island, in the Aleutian Island Chain of Alaska, was the site of three underground nuclear tests (1965-1971). Our objective was to assess current food safety and provide a baseline for developing a plan to monitor human and ecosystem health. Stakeholders, including regulators (State of Alaska), resource trustees (US Fish and Wildlife Service, State of Alaska), representatives of the Aleut and Pribilof Island communities, the DOE, and others, were essential for plan development. While these stakeholders were included in the development of a science plan, we also included them in the refinement of protocols, selection of bioindicators, of a reference site, choice of collection methods, and in the execution of the study itself. Meetings with stakeholders resulted in adding (or deleting) bioindicator species and tissues, prioritizing, refining sampling methods, and recruiting personnel. Two major refinements that changed the research thrust were 1) the inclusion of Aleut hunters and fishers on the biological expedition itself to ensure that subsistence foods and methods were represented, and 2) the addition of a fisheries biologist on a NOAA research trawler to allow sampling of commercial fishes. The inclusion of stakeholders during the development of protocols and the research itself improved the quality of the investigation, while making it more relevant to interested and affected parties. The process of stakeholder inclusion made the research more valuable as a source of credible information and for public policy decisions.
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