ABSTRACT
The session 'Snails, sex and science' at the Interfaces between Science and Society workshop inspired a debate on science, precaution and the communication of values, facts and interests between scientists and stakeholders. The chapter focuses on the precautionary principle, its history and evolution, and considers the tributyltin case study as it mirrors this evolution and provides an example of the fundamental importance of communicating science. The participants were mutually aware that understanding the different perceptions as held by decision-makers and scientists benefits the exchange of ideas and information, and helps to recognise how scientific understanding could contribute to societal processes. In the 1980s it became apparent that for events in the marine environment, the concept of 'environmental capacity' was inadequate. Maintaining scientific integrity, essential for doing science and contributing in a precautionary context, is sometimes challenged. The evolution of the precautionary principle reflects an evolution of society, policy-making and science.
