Abstract
Biosecurity is a term widely used in a number of different fields, particularly in agriculture, human health, research, and national/international security. However, the meaning may differ slightly, depending on the context. In this discussion, it is broadly defined as “The management of risks from invasive species to human and animal health, the natural and built environments, and agriculture.” This occurs through prevention, surveillance, preparedness, and response activities, supported by appropriate capacity and capability. A wide range of ethical issues arise, including prioritization of activities based on resources and risk assessments; uneven investment in global biosecurity, with rich countries dictating associated policies; fears around bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases; trade rules and inconsistency of implementation; application of the precautionary principle in decision making; the impact of biosecurity activities on individuals for the public good; animal health, welfare and rights; and the impact of humans globally on the distribution of invasive species.
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Glanville, R.J., Firestone, S.M., More, S.J. (2016). Biosecurity. In: ten Have, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09483-0_61
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09483-0_61
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