Scoping a public health impact assessment of aquaculture with particular reference to tilapia in the UK

Watterson, A., Little, D., Young, J.A., Murray, F., Doi, L., Boyd, K.A. and Azim, E. (2012) Scoping a public health impact assessment of aquaculture with particular reference to tilapia in the UK. ISRN Public Health, 2012, pp. 1-18. (doi: 10.5402/2012/203796)

Abstract

Background. The paper explores shaping public health impact assessment tools for tilapia, a novel emergent aquaculture sector in the UK. This Research Council’s UK Rural Economy and Land Use project embraces technical, public health, and marketing perspectives scoping tools to assess possible impacts of the activity. Globally, aquaculture produced over 65 million tonnes of food in 2008 and will grow significantly requiring apposite global public health impact assessment tools.<p></p> Methods. Quantitative and qualitative methods incorporated data from a tridisciplinary literature. Holistic tools scoped tilapia farming impact assessments. Laboratory-based tilapia production generated data on impacts in UK and Thailand along with 11 UK focus groups involving 90 consumers, 30 interviews and site visits, 9 visits to UK tilapia growers and 2 in The Netherlands.<p></p> Results. The feasibility, challenges, strengths, and weaknesses of creating a tilapia Public Health Impact Assessment are analysed. Occupational and environmental health benefits and risks attached to tilapia production were identified.<p></p> Conclusions. Scoping public health impacts of tilapia production is possible at different levels and forms for producers, retailers, consumers, civil society and governmental bodies that may contribute to complex and interrelated public health assessments of aquaculture projects. Our assessment framework constitutes an innovatory perspective in the field.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Boyd, Professor Kathleen
• Authors: Watterson, A., Little, D., Young, J.A., Murray, F., Doi, L., Boyd, K.A., and Azim, E.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment
• Journal Name: ISRN Public Health
• Publisher: International Scholarly Research Network
• ISSN: 2090-8008
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2012 The Authors
• First Published: First published in ISRN Public Health 2012:1-18
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced with permission of the authors