Co-Convenors: Chang-Hoon Kim (Korea) and Vera Trainer (USA)
Invited Speaker:
Daniel Huppert (University of Washington, USA)
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have adverse economic and social impacts on the aquaculture industry, human
health, coastal economies, and wild fisheries. HABs have prompted routine closures of both commercial and
recreational shellfish harvesting as well as contributing to the death of aquaculture finfish resulting in financial
losses in coastal communities. But the economic impacts generated by these events extend far beyond the industry
itself. Obtaining more realistic estimates of HAB economic impacts, and the costs of preventing and managing
them, calls for an integrated assessment approach that comprises the following: the economic impact of HABs
on the aquaculture industry, the secondary integrated industries, and consumers, on both local and regional scales;
some valuation of the costs and benefits of taking any recognized steps to lessen the HAB problem (e.g., reducing
coastal pollution and other human-related activities); and weighing the costs and benefits of enhanced monitoring
and surveillance that potentially reduces the magnitude of the impacts (e.g., by limiting shellfish harvesting
closure windows or alteration in the timing of finfish harvesting). This workshop comprises 2 parts, with the
first being a presentation of what is known about the economic and social impacts of HABs in the eastern and
western Pacific, by both HAB researchers and invited speakers who can inform on cutting edge approaches and
methodologies for assessment of HAB and other marine economic impacts (e.g., oil spills). In Part 2 participants
will identify specific steps for developing improved and more comprehensive economic impact assessments of
HABs on fisheries and aquaculture in the North Pacific.