Ciguatera poisoning (CP) is the most prevalent form of non-bacterial seafood poisoning globally, with estimated annual incidence at 50,000–500,000 cases, and 80% of these from the South Pacific region, including Australia. In Australia, an estimated 300 cases occur annually, primarily in far north Queensland (FNQ), though true incidence is likely higher due to misdiagnosis and underreporting.
This presentation reports findings from an interdisciplinary study examining the legislative and governance landscape for CP management in FNQ, focusing on recreational fishers. Methods included a review of legislation, policies and government resources, and semi-structured qualitative interviews with key informants from the recreational fishing sector, government agencies and the seafood industry, conducted in Cairns and Port Douglas.
We find that CP governance responsibility is fragmented across multiple agencies, that ciguatoxins are not explicitly listed as a toxin under the national food safety code, and that publicly available risk information is inconsistent and not proactively targeted at recreational fishers. Interview data reveal that CP awareness among local recreational fishers is high but largely informal and peer-transmitted, leaving tourists and newly arrived fishers persistently vulnerable. We argue that CP risk among recreational fishers could be significantly reduced without waiting for further advances in detection science and present a framework to support this.
These findings resonate with challenges common across harmful algal bloom management, where coordination of institutional responsibilities and risk communication remains a persistent gap, underscoring the necessity of interdisciplinary collaboration between biological and social scientists for translating ecological knowledge into effective governance action.