Raising awareness of ciguatera poisoning in Australia: a survey of recreational fishers

In Australia, recreational fishers are repeatedly associated with ciguatera poisoning. Nevertheless, a myriad of misinformation and “old wives” tales circulate regarding the prevalence of ciguatoxin and how to detect ciguateric fish. As part of the ciguatera awareness campaign run by SafeFish (Australian Seafood Safety and Market Access Program), we conducted an online survey of Australian recreational fishers (recruited through social media and recreational fishing groups) to gauge current awareness levels of this risk and how best to improve them. Answered by 236 respondents, the survey revealed that in this group of voluntary respondents, 90% were aware of ciguatera. These individuals predominantly originated from the ciguatera endemic areas of Queensland and the Northern Territory, as well as New South Wales, which has only started recording ciguatera cases in 2016. Twenty-six percent of the individuals identified as having suffered from ciguatera previously, with 40% not having been diagnosed by a health care worker. In terms of the available information, respondents felt that key information on the fish species at risk of carrying ciguatoxins and ciguatera symptoms was lacking. Based on the survey feedback, a detailed ciguatera fact sheet was prepared and circulated through the identical social media channels used to promote the survey. Efforts to raise ciguatera awareness in Australia are ongoing, with a SafeFish facilitated survey of health care workers on the horizon.