Journal of Science Policy & Governance
​Volume 19, Issue 01 | November 01, 2021

Policy Analysis: Fish Consumption Advisory Programs: Opportunities and Challenges for the Protection of Human Health in Canada and the United States

Rachael King (1), Beth Polidoro (1), Karen H. Watanabe (1), Trevor Avery (2)
  1. Arizona State University West, New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Glendale, AZ
  2. Acadia University, Department of Biology, Wolfville, NS, Canada

Corresponding author: [email protected]
Keywords: environmental policy; fisheries; environmental justice; aquatic toxicology​

Executive Summary

​Fish consumption advisories provide valuable information on the protection of human health from contaminated fish consumption, yet are rarely conducted comprehensively nor communicated widely. Environmental policies that fail to adequately develop and implement fish consumption advisory programs are largely to blame. This policy analysis delves into the strengths and weaknesses of current fish consumption advisory programs in the United States and Canada. To compare between these countries, fish consumption advisory programs were broadly described across all 50 US states and 13 Canadian provinces/territories. Two case studies were chosen to provide a more detailed look into the complexities of fish consumption advisory programs (Arizona and Nova Scotia). It is apparent from this research that fish consumption advisory programs and policies do not comprehensively address human health and environmental justice concerns in either country suggesting policy changes are necessary. Opportunities for and barriers to regulatory change in both countries were identified, and suggestions on sharing strong policies were provided. Finally, international frameworks aimed at improving fish consumption advisory programs were explored, mainly those used by the European Union. Environmental justice and human health concerns will only increase given changing environments and emerging toxicological issues; therefore, increased focus on fish consumption advisory programs is warranted. This focus should consider policy change in particular because it can codify human health and environmental justice protections upon which stronger fish consumption advisory programs can be built.

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​Rachael King is an MA student at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science through the College of William and Mary. She completed her BS in Environmental Science at Arizona State University, where she conducted research on fish consumption advisory programs across the US and Canada. She traveled to Nova Scotia for the Canadian arm of her research through a Fulbright Canada grant. She has presented legislation in the Arizona State Legislature during multiple sessions. She has also worked as an educator with Arizona Project WET. She plans to pursue a career in science policy, with an emphasis on environmental toxicology.
 
Beth Polidoro is an Associate Professor of Environmental Chemistry and Marine Conservation in the School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences at Arizona State University. She is the Associate Director of ASU’s Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, and is co-Chair of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Species Survival Commissions’ Marine Fishes and Reef-Building Corals specialist groups. Her research interests are in risk assessment and applied toxicology within the context of marine and freshwater biodiversity conservation, environmental pollution, human health and sustainable development. Currently, she works on various environmental conservation initiatives and risk assessments in southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa and Oceania. 
 
Karen Watanabe is an Associate Professor in the School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences at Arizona State University. She is currently the program lead for the Pharmacology and Toxicology Bachelor’s degree, and interim director for the Biological Data Science Master’s degree. Her research focuses on developing biologically based mathematical models of how chemicals in the environment affect living organisms, and using probabilistic methods to capture biological uncertainty and variability in model predictions for toxicology and risk assessment. She is passionate about creating educational bridges between the life sciences and mathematical/computational sciences, and providing innovative work-based learning opportunities for students at all levels.
 
Trevor Avery is an Associate Professor cross-appointed to Biology and Mathematics & Statistics at Acadia University. His research interests are in fish and fisheries, animal movements, and population dynamics. He works with students on projects to improve our understanding of fish and fisheries through monitoring programs. Many projects involve tagging fish and lobster for capture-mark-recapture, and sampling fish for various fish health indicators such as contaminants, and include community-driven or citizen science initiatives. His research group curates data on many fish species across large areas to help inform fisheries and conservation activities and management through understanding of fish biology and population dynamics.
 
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the NCUIRE program at Arizona State University West and Fulbright Canada’s Killam Fellowship for providing necessary funding to this research. The authors would also like to thank ADEQ for their cooperation with this research and Senator Mendez and Representative Peten for supporting legislation presented as a result of this research.

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