Home 15 From science to policy: dynamic adaptation of legal regulations on aquatic biotoxins
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

15 From science to policy: dynamic adaptation of legal regulations on aquatic biotoxins

Become an author with De Gruyter Brill
How to publish with us
Climate Change and Marine and Freshwater Toxins
This chapter is in the book Climate Change and Marine and Freshwater Toxins
Natalia Vilariño, M. Carmen Louzao, María Fragaand Luis M. Botana15 From science to policy: dynamicadaptation of legal regulationson aquatic biotoxins15.1 IntroductionIn order to protect human health, legal regulations have evolved with the appearanceof new toxins or new locations of known toxins. Although no direct link can be un-doubtedly established between climate change and the dissemination of toxic episodesto new geographic areas, the fact is that new toxins or new locations seem to be emerg-ing with a higher frequency in recent years. Many factors can influence this increase ofreported episodes, such as monitoring intensification and technological development,but the contribution of global warming has also been widely discussed in the scientificcommunity. Regulations and monitoring programs will have to be adapted to new toxi-cological threats worldwide, both for marine phycotoxins and cyanotoxins.In this chapter, we review the current regulatory status of marine phycotoxinsand cyanotoxins worldwide and discuss the problems that regulatory agencies willface to establish and implement new maximum limits.15.2 Current worldwide regulations on marinephycotoxins15.2.1 Maximum permitted levelsCurrent worldwide regulations on the maximum content of marine phycotoxins inseafood are based mainly on the toxicological evaluation of these toxins by ad hocexperts designated by FAO, WHO and IOC, which are published in a joint researchreport on marine biotoxins in 2004 and an additional report on ciguatera poisoningin 2020 [1–3]. EFSA panels of experts on several toxin classes have also contributedimportant risk assessments for the regulation of these toxins worldwide [4–8]. Theaim of marine biotoxin regulations is the protection of human population, and there-fore an important contribution of these texts is an evaluation by an internationalNatalia Vilariño, M. Carmen Louzao, María Fraga, Luis M. Botana,Departamento deFarmacología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spainhttps://doi.org/10.1515/9783110625738-015
© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Munich/Boston

Natalia Vilariño, M. Carmen Louzao, María Fragaand Luis M. Botana15 From science to policy: dynamicadaptation of legal regulationson aquatic biotoxins15.1 IntroductionIn order to protect human health, legal regulations have evolved with the appearanceof new toxins or new locations of known toxins. Although no direct link can be un-doubtedly established between climate change and the dissemination of toxic episodesto new geographic areas, the fact is that new toxins or new locations seem to be emerg-ing with a higher frequency in recent years. Many factors can influence this increase ofreported episodes, such as monitoring intensification and technological development,but the contribution of global warming has also been widely discussed in the scientificcommunity. Regulations and monitoring programs will have to be adapted to new toxi-cological threats worldwide, both for marine phycotoxins and cyanotoxins.In this chapter, we review the current regulatory status of marine phycotoxinsand cyanotoxins worldwide and discuss the problems that regulatory agencies willface to establish and implement new maximum limits.15.2 Current worldwide regulations on marinephycotoxins15.2.1 Maximum permitted levelsCurrent worldwide regulations on the maximum content of marine phycotoxins inseafood are based mainly on the toxicological evaluation of these toxins by ad hocexperts designated by FAO, WHO and IOC, which are published in a joint researchreport on marine biotoxins in 2004 and an additional report on ciguatera poisoningin 2020 [1–3]. EFSA panels of experts on several toxin classes have also contributedimportant risk assessments for the regulation of these toxins worldwide [4–8]. Theaim of marine biotoxin regulations is the protection of human population, and there-fore an important contribution of these texts is an evaluation by an internationalNatalia Vilariño, M. Carmen Louzao, María Fraga, Luis M. Botana,Departamento deFarmacología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spainhttps://doi.org/10.1515/9783110625738-015
© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Munich/Boston

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface V
  3. Contents VII
  4. 1 Variability and trends of global sea ice cover and sea level: effects on physicochemical parameters 1
  5. 2 New techniques in environment monitoring 35
  6. 3 Responses of marine animals to ocean acidification 107
  7. 4 Alexandrium spp.: genetic and ecological factors influencing saxitoxin production and proliferation 133
  8. 5 Potential effects of climate change on cyanobacterial toxin production 167
  9. 6 Harmful marine algal blooms and climate change: progress on a formidable predictive challenge 195
  10. 7 Global warming, climate patterns and toxic cyanobacteria 209
  11. 8 Human impact in Mediterranean coastal ecosystems and climate change: emerging toxins 253
  12. 9 Gambierdiscus, the cause of ciguatera fish poisoning: an increased human health threat influenced by climate change 303
  13. 10 Ciguatera poisoning: an increasing burden for Pacific island communities in light of climate change? 369
  14. 11 Control and management of harmful algal blooms 429
  15. 12 Multifaceted climatic change and nutrient effects on harmful algae require multifaceted models 473
  16. 13 Global climate change profile and its possible effects on the reproductive cycle, sex expression and sex change of shellfish as marine toxin vectors 519
  17. 14 Effects on world food production and security 579
  18. 15 From science to policy: dynamic adaptation of legal regulations on aquatic biotoxins 607
  19. Index 655
Readers are also interested in:
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110625738-015

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface V
  3. Contents VII
  4. 1 Variability and trends of global sea ice cover and sea level: effects on physicochemical parameters 1
  5. 2 New techniques in environment monitoring 35
  6. 3 Responses of marine animals to ocean acidification 107
  7. 4 Alexandrium spp.: genetic and ecological factors influencing saxitoxin production and proliferation 133
  8. 5 Potential effects of climate change on cyanobacterial toxin production 167
  9. 6 Harmful marine algal blooms and climate change: progress on a formidable predictive challenge 195
  10. 7 Global warming, climate patterns and toxic cyanobacteria 209
  11. 8 Human impact in Mediterranean coastal ecosystems and climate change: emerging toxins 253
  12. 9 Gambierdiscus, the cause of ciguatera fish poisoning: an increased human health threat influenced by climate change 303
  13. 10 Ciguatera poisoning: an increasing burden for Pacific island communities in light of climate change? 369
  14. 11 Control and management of harmful algal blooms 429
  15. 12 Multifaceted climatic change and nutrient effects on harmful algae require multifaceted models 473
  16. 13 Global climate change profile and its possible effects on the reproductive cycle, sex expression and sex change of shellfish as marine toxin vectors 519
  17. 14 Effects on world food production and security 579
  18. 15 From science to policy: dynamic adaptation of legal regulations on aquatic biotoxins 607
  19. Index 655
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 24.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110625738-015/html?srsltid=AfmBOookmxBN_d_wZh9RRh2MOnPqi5zBTXsxlBQiDIf-er1MWibYH7Cx
Scroll to top button