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BioSafety Volume 1, Paper 10 (BY95010), June 24th 1995. Online Journal, URL -http://bioline.bdt.org.br/by
Editorial: Risk assessment and management in fisheries research
Code Number: BY95010
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Readers of this journal are well aware that genetically
modified organisms with novel properties which are unlikely to
occur naturally can be produced using modern biotechnology.
Regulatory mechanisms are in place to minimise any possibility
of harm to people and to the environment, should the GMO be
released: such regulations typically involve an assessment of
risks and of means of reducing this by appropriate
management.Risk to the environment is relatively hard to assess because of the complexities of ecological interactions and the very wide range of environments into which the released GMO might penetrate. There are relatively few detailed descriptions of mechanisms to do this. A recent publication from the United States Department of Agriculture has set out a framework for assessing the risks involved in research with genetically modified fish and shellfish. The approach is to consider the potential consequences of an unintended release of a GMO to the environment and from this to define the conditions in which the work must be carried out so that the likelihood of any harm is minimised. The magnitude of any risk is considered and management practices defined which will reduce any risk to acceptable levels. Risk assessment in aquatic species is especially significant because an unintended releases may be to sea, lake or other large volumes of water where the organisms cannot readily be recovered. Rightly, the objective of the study is to define standards of performance for carrying out research with genetically modified fish and shellfish in an environmentally acceptable way. In extreme cases, the conclusion will be that the an appropriate standard cannot be attained and that the research should not be undertaken. The approach to control by setting Performance standards is also being developed in standards for the equipment used in biotechnology (Hesselink et al., 1995). The report and its associated flowcharts and appendices are now put online as paper BY95011 in BioSafety, because of its value as a model for risk assessment in both aquatic and other environments. Brian Kirsop December 29th, 1995 Reference Hesselink, P., Kirsop, B. and Stoop, R. 1995. Consideration of Performance Criteria and of Equipment Categorisation. BioSafety, Volume 1, Paper 7 (BY95007), June 24th, 1995. Online Journal, URL -http://bioline.bdt.org.br/by Published by Bioline Publications and Science and Technology Letters Editorial office: biosaf@biostrat.demon.co.uk
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