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Fishers weigh in: benefits and risks of eating Great Lakes fish from the consumer’s perspective

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  • Jennifer Dawson
  • Judy Sheeshka
  • Donald Cole
  • David Kraft
  • Amy Waugh

Abstract

Three decades of concern over consumption of potentially contaminated Great Lakes fish has led government agencies and public health proponents to implement risk assessment and management programs as a means of protecting the health of fishers and their families. While well-meaning in their intent, these programs––and much of the research conducted to support and evaluate them––were not designed to accommodate the understandings and concerns of the fish consumer. Results from a qualitative component of a multi-disciplinary, multi-year research project on frequent (average 108 meals per year) consumers of Great Lakes fish tell the fishers’ side of the story. We present data from 87 tape recorded interviews conducted with Vietnamese, Chinese, and English-speaking participants that underscore the quality of freshly caught Great Lakes fish and the important social and cultural benefits of fish and fishing to the consumer. We also outline the participants’ understandings of risk from eating Great Lakes fish and the way in which fishers and their families manage this risk. The paper concludes with a discussion of these benefits, risks, and risk management strategies as ways that Great Lakes fish consumers “construct” rather than “perceive” risk. We advocate for risk assessment and management protocols that involve those who will be affected the most, such as frequent consumers of Great Lakes fish, from the initial “risk characterization” stage through to any necessary risk communication. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008

Suggested Citation

  • Jennifer Dawson & Judy Sheeshka & Donald Cole & David Kraft & Amy Waugh, 2008. "Fishers weigh in: benefits and risks of eating Great Lakes fish from the consumer’s perspective," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 25(3), pages 349-364, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:25:y:2008:i:3:p:349-364
    DOI: 10.1007/s10460-008-9131-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nancy A. Connelly & Barbara A. Knuth, 1998. "Evaluating Risk Communication: Examining Target Audience Perceptions About Four Presentation Formats for Fish Consumption Health Advisory Information," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(5), pages 649-659, October.
    2. Barbara A. Knuth & Nancy A. Connelly & Judy Sheeshka & Jacqueline Patterson, 2003. "Weighing Health Benefit and Health Risk Information when Consuming Sport‐Caught Fish," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 23(6), pages 1185-1197, December.
    3. Inhorn, Marcia C., 1995. "Medical anthropology and epidemiology: Divergences or convergences?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 285-290, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. May Lynn Tan & Alyce Ujihara & Lani Kent & Ilinisa Hendrickson, 2011. "Communicating Fish Consumption Advisories in California: What Works, What Doesn’t," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(7), pages 1095-1106, July.
    2. Robin Kortright & Sarah Wakefield, 2011. "Edible backyards: a qualitative study of household food growing and its contributions to food security," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 28(1), pages 39-53, February.

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