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Role of the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in supporting regional seafood safety Contaminants and Seafoods- their ecological and socioEnvironmental economic significance Ross Jeffree and Florence Boisson Radioecology Laboratory, IAEA MEL, MONACO International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA - Marine Environment Laboratory Issues to be covered….. • Effects of marine contaminants in seafoods; – • IAEA support mechanisms; – – – • • human health & their sale and export Regional training programmes/Regional Office of the RCA (S. Korea) IAEA HABS Collaborating Centre at PNRI, Philippines Coordinated Research Project on Seafood Safety Future regional impacters on seafoods; – Ocean acidification; high risk of future severe impact to coral reef ecosystems, marine biodiversity and aquaculture – Expanding nuclear power programmes in region Beyond ‘environmental hand-wringing’ – – Valuing the full economic costs of environmental impacts on seafoods for policy impact Engagement with the relevant policy formulation organisations International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA - Marine Environment Laboratory Management of Harmful Algal Blooms impacts In 1996, in response to PHI request, the International Atomic Energy Agency developed program activities to assist Member States in mitigating impacts of Harmful Algae on human health and seafood safety, through capacity building (research & monitoring), based on: ISOTOPIC TECHNIQUES FOR HABs TOXINS AND FOSSIL CYSTS DATING Alexandrium catenella, clone ACC01, Aysén fjord; Amaro et al., International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA - Marine Environment Laboratory Isotopic techniques for HABs monitoring In the Philippines, an IAEA Collaborating Centre was established. The Receptor Binding Assay method is used to: - Monitor the levels of PSP toxins in seafood - Study the transfer of PSP toxins in the food chain for HABs management RBA sample being prepared for Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning Photos Credits: PNRI International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA - Marine Environment Laboratory IAEA assistance Capacity building Information networks Through the Technical Officer, (MEL) and the Project Management Officer (in Vienna), IAEA assists Member States in: Transferring and establishing the isotopic technologies selected Establishing collaboration with appropriate experts & UN org Improving national HABs monitoring programs and coastal zone management International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA - Marine Environment Laboratory Effects of marine contaminants in seafoods……. • Contaminants as blockers of seafood exports….. • eg. natural elevated levels of cadmium in shellfish have hindered their exports to the EU. • Potential solution to this trade problem; – Change the international standard of CODEX ALIMENTARIUS! • Mechanism being used to address this trade problem….. – An IAEA/FAO-funded Coordinated Research Project (CRP) that has; • developed an international expanded database on quality-assured Cd levels in shellfish • has included partners with representation on CODEX ALIMENTARIUS to facilitate a review of the Cd level in shellfish, based on this new data. • Outcome so far……..new database provided by CRP members is under CODEX review to recommend a higher acceptable Cd concentration in shellfish International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA - Marine Environment Laboratory Future regional impacters on seafoods……..ocean acidification Orr et al. 2005 (Nature) Reddish colours: seawater becomes corrosive to some marine animal shells International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA - Marine Environment Laboratory Increasing Acidity Predicted biological outcome for the marine environment: when partial pressures of C02 reach 560 ppm (in c. 40 years) all coral reefs will cease to grow and start to dissolve (Silverman et al, 2009) High regional marine biodiversity associated with coral reefs……. Contours of generic diversity in corals 2005) • ocean acidification as the preeminent marine contaminant, with the high risk to change regional physical geography of the marine environment • 50% of marine biodiversity in the Indo-west Pacific (from Cox & Moore,• Impacts on calcifying shellfish important in; – – Longitudinal gradients of fish species richness Aquaculture? Subsistence harvesting? (from Cox & Moore, 2005) International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA - Marine Environment Laboratory Future regional impacters on seafoods…… Nuclear power plants- now and in the future 29 in region • Environmental risks to seafood acceptability • Environmental benefit of mitigation of carbon emissions, with regard to; •Sea level rise •Extreme weather events •Ocean acidification International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA - Marine Environment Laboratory Beyond environmental hand-wringing to policy impact..... • A template for environmental policy impact? – The Stern Review, The Economics of Climate Change • Used the IPCC science of climate change and impact to economically value the costs of doing nothing vs the costs of CO2 mitigation, to show; – The economic logic of investing in mitigation of carbon emissions, that has influenced governments to ACT- » Economists are closer to the Minister than the Environmental Scientist » Copenhagen, December 2009! • The message……………..work with economists to both economically value; – The potential economic losses of regional coastal resources from human impacts – The economic costs of mitigation, ….As a fundamental starting point to leverage governmental decisionmaking International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA - Marine Environment Laboratory Beyond environmental hand-wringing to policy impact..... • A practical example…….. -The Monaco Environment & Economics Group-, includes expertise in marine biology, ocean acidification modelling and economic valuation of natural resources It has; 1) undertaken first study of future economic impacts of ocean acidification on Mediterranean seafood*; -the science has underpinned the economic analysis, -the economic analysis has clarified what science is needed for better economic valuation * Hilmi N., Allemand D., Jeffree R., Orr J. (2009). Future economic impacts of ocean acidification on Med seafoods: first assessment summary. Proc. 9th Int. Conf. on the Medit. Coastal Envir., 13-17 Nov., Sochi, Russia. International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA - Marine Environment Laboratory The Monaco Environment & Economics Group2) organising an international workshop in Monaco in 2010; Bridging the Gap between Ocean Acidification Impacts and Economic Valuation to bring ocean acidification scientists and natural resource economists together to discuss the issue, with observers from UN organisations International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA - Marine Environment Laboratory Conclusions….. • The IAEA, in conjunction with RCARO has resources and mechanisms to assist with management of problems associated with contaminants in seafoods • The regional growth of NPP will enhance our focus in the MEL in marine radioecology to support regional capacity to manage their environmental impacts • Can we solve the looming problem of ocean acidification? – Maybe through environment/economic valuation to enhance policy impact and response International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA - Marine Environment Laboratory