Using a Harm Reduction Approach in an Environmental Case Study of Fish and Wildlife Health

Excerpt

Current unprecedented threats to health and sustainability are inspiring conversations on the need to change the way we address environmental harms. To harm something or someone means to damage them or make them less effective or successful than they were. Sources of potential harm (varyingly called hazards or threats) like climate change, persistent pollutants, and emerging pathogens are making it increasingly difficult to sustain healthy populations successfully and effectively. This paper explores if harm reduction concepts can be transferred from public health to managing environmental harms. We use fish and wildlife health (hereafter referred to as wildlife health) to explore the potential utility of this concept. …