IPHAB Task Team on Biotoxin Monitoring, Management and Regulations

Terms of Reference:

  • Establish and maintain regular contact with FAO, IAEA, WHO, and other regulatory or advisory bodies; follow-up on finalization of methodological annex of Codex standard 292-2008, in particular with reference to toxicity equivalency factors (TEF) to clarify regulatory status of individual toxin analogs,
  • Establish and maintain regular contact with leading scientists and scientific organizations to ensure that the latest and most robust science is available to the Task Team in discharging its responsibilities,
  • Establish contact with national, regional and global risk evaluation agencies to evaluate the risk of freshwater cyanobacterial toxins in seafood,
  • Advise other IPHAB Task Teams on aspects of toxinology, including emerging toxins,
  • Communicate and disseminate information on training workshops and participate (as requested) in the organization of training workshops for toxin detection, monitoring and management,
  • Continue development on the IOC/IODE database of algal toxins which will also serve other Task Teams as a web-based tool for crosslinking knowledge on HAB organisms and toxins;
  • Develop a concerted (inter-agency) effort and seek opportunities to get this effort funded on drafting guidance on mitigation (EWS, safeguarding shellfish during HAB-events, HAB-destruction and shellfish detoxification),
  • Report to IPHAB-XVI on international activities in marine biotoxin monitoring, management and regulation during the inter-sessional period,
  • Recommend to IPHAB-XVI on revised priorities for research, capacity development and engagement with regulatory bodies to address the most pressing issues and threats posed by HAB toxins in the marine environment;
  • In 6 months develop a succinct list of challenges, objectives and actions with respect to the Task Team topic that will address the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development objectives and challenges and to present these at an IPHAB intersessional on-line consultation September 2021 with a view to formulate an IPHAB strategic framework for UN Decade initiatives;

Encourages relevant organizations to invite the IPHAB Task Team to participate as observer at the principal meetings of their respective groups to facilitate international compatibility of applied methodology and legislation with respect to HAB toxins,

Decides that the Task Team will be chaired by P. Hess (FR) and comprising Beatriz Reguera (ES); M. Broadwater (USA) and T. Suzuki, (Japan). The Task Team is supplemented by international advisors and experts J. Ramsdell (USA); M. Burford (Australia); A. Gago, (EURL/ES); M. João Botelho (Portugal); E. Hamelin (USA), W. Huang (USA), R. Kudela (USA); H. Mazur (Poland); C. O. Miles, (CA); Gonzalo Alvarez Vergara (CL) ; Aifeng Li(China) and may be expanded as required to fulfill its Terms of Reference,

Invites FAO, IAEA and WHO to be members of the Task Team,

Notes that the Task Team is established until otherwise decided by the Panel and that it will work by correspondence and/or meet on an opportunistic basis, and provide a progress report for the inter-sessional period to the Chair of IPHAB prior to IPHAB-XVI.

 

Contact : 

Philipp Hess, Directeur Adjoint de l’Institut Universitaire Mer et Littoral, FR-3473 (CNRS / Université de Nantes / IFREMER), Ifremer. E-mail: Philipp.Hess@ifremer.fr