Integrating fisheries biology, economics and risk assessment to tackle the problem of parasites in the fish supply chain

Supervisors: Prof Graham Pierce (University of Aberdeen), Norval Strachan (University of Aberdeen), Ioannis Theodossiou (University of Aberdeen), Dr Campbell Pert (Marine Scotland Science)

An opportunity has arisen for a multidisciplinary PhD studentship to run alongside the EU-funded PARASITE project, from which 50% of the funding will be sourced. The project involves:
• Pre-assessment (understanding the framing and selection rules employed to study this particular risk)
• Providing support for identification of parasites in fish obtained from around the UK. This will lead to statistical models of parasite burdens in fish and potential exposure to consumers.
• Development of a spread-sheet based quantitative risk assessment utilising data from both questionnaires and fisheries surveys.
• Determining by questionnaire both the concerns and tolerability of the risk.
• Utilise information obtained from other partners in the project on the efficacy, practicality and cost of interventions.
• Prepare and analyse a questionnaire on the “willingness to pay” for reduction of the risk
The student will be required to liaise with European partners as appropriate, be keen to develop skills in a number of different areas and be willing to work with a range of scientific disciplines, the public and industry.