FDA Considers Approval of GE Salmon–the First GE Food Animal–Yet Fails to Inform the Public of Environmental and Economic Risks
A coalition of 31 consumer, animal welfare and environmental groups, along with commercial and recreational fisheries associations and food retailers submitted a joint statement criticizing an announcement this week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it will potentially approve the long-shelved AquAdvantage transgenic salmon as the first genetically engineered (GE) animal intended for human consumption.
The engineered Atlantic salmon being considered was developed by AquaBounty Technologies, which artificially combined growth hormone genes from an unrelated Pacific salmon, (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) with DNA from the anti-freeze genes of an eelpout (Zoarces americanus). This modification causes production of growth-hormone year-round, creating a fish the company claims grows at twice the normal rate. This could allow factory fish farms to crowd fish into pens and still get high production rates.
Each year millions of farmed salmon escape from open-water net pens, outcompeting wild populations for resources and straining ecosystems. “We believe any approval of GE salmon would represent a serious threat to the survival of native salmon populations, many of which have already suffered severe declines related to salmon farms and other man-made impacts,” Marianne Cufone, director of Food and Water Watch’s fish program said.
If the FDA opens this door, GE fish will likely be among the millions of salmon that currently escape from open ocean pens every year. This could be the last blow to wild salmon stocks and in turn the thousands of men and women who depend on fishing for their livelihoods. “Approving genetically engineered salmon is a sharp contradiction to the agreements the United States has signed at NASCO, where transgenic salmonids are considered a serious threat to wild salmon” said Boyce Thorne Miller, Science and Policy Coordinator for the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and accredited observer at the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization.
Escaped GE salmon can pose an additional threat – genetic pollution resulting from what scientists call the “Trojan gene” effect.” Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences notes that a release of just sixty GE salmon into a wild population of 60,000 would lead to the extinction of the wild population in less than 40 generations.
Anticipating the stark danger to our fisheries and ocean environments – and trying to circumvent analyses of those dangers – AquaBounty has claimed that they will only raise their fish in land-based facilities. However most salmon farmers in the real world ply their trade in low-lying coastal areas and competing corporations will no doubt race to produce GE fish in crowded open ocean facilities already in use for fish production. Backsliding on its original claims, reports have circulated that AquaBounty may only suggest producers raise GE fish in “inland waters” – presenting novel threats to our nation’s lakes, rivers, and estuaries – many of which are already under attack by invasive fish species like the Asian carp and Northern snakehead.
“FDA’s decision to go ahead with this approval process is misguided and dangerous, and is made worse by its complete lack of data to review” said Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director for the Center for Food Safety. “FDA has been sitting on this application for 10 years and yet it has chosen not to disclose any data about its decision until just a few days before the public meeting.”
On Wednesday, FDA officials announced that they had begun the approval process for the engineered salmon and have scheduled public meetings beginning Sunday, September 19. Speakers wishing to present oral comments are expected to submit their requests in writing by September 7th; one day after the FDA has said it may post “some” of the data to its website. “This is not a process that leads to full and informed public participation,” said Charles Margulis, Sustainable Food Program Coordinator for the Center for Environmental Health.
FDA announced the same day that it will hold a public comment period and a hearing on labeling for the transgenic salmon, which seems to presuppose that the controversial GE fish will be approved. If the GE fish is approved, Agency officials are undecided as to whether they will require any product labeling.
“We all know there is a great appetite for salmon, but the solution is not to ‘farm’ genetically engineered versions to put more on our dinner tables; the solution is to work to bring our wild salmon populations back” said Jonathan Rosenfield, PhD, a Conservation Biologist and President of the SalmonAID Foundation, a 28-member coalition of commercial, tribal, and sportfishing interests, conservation organizations and chefs. “The approval of these transgenic fish will only exacerbate the problems facing our wild fisheries.”
The statement was signed by the following:
CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY – FOOD AND WATER WATCH – SALMONAID – NORTHWEST ATLANTIC MARINE ALLIANCE – ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION – FRIENDS OF THE EARTH – THE LIVING OCEANS SOCIETY – SMALL BOAT COMMERCIAL SALMON FISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATION – THE GEORGIA STRAIT ALLIANCE – CALIFORNIANS FOR GE-FREE AGRICULTURE – THE ORGANIC & NON-GMO REPORT – PLANETARY HEALTH, INC. – SIERRA CLUB – SAY NO TO GMOS! – CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH – CANADIAN BIOTECHNOLOGY ACTION NETWORK – INSTITUTE FOR FISHERIES RESOURCES – AMERICAN ANTI-VIVISECTION SOCIETY – PACIFIC COAST FEDERATION OF FISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATION – MANGROVE ACTION PROJECT – FOOD FIRST / INSTITUTE FOR FOOD AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY – EDEN FOODS, INC. – THE NON-GMO PROJECT – NORTHWEST RESISTANCE AGAINST GENETIC ENGINEERING – PCC NATURAL MARKETS – AMBERWAVES – GLOUSTER FISHERMEN’S WIVES ASSOCIATION – FRESH THE MOVIE – WASHINGTON BIOTECHNOLOGY ACTION COUNCIL – OREGON PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
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Filed under: Aquaculture, Factory Farming, Food Safety, GE Animals, GE Food, Politics and Policy
I find this rather disturbing and arrogant for the Genetic scientists, corporations, FDA, et al to push forward with their plans to continue altering the genetic balance of life and putting our food and ecology at risk without decent interaction with a representative group of the people this decision could affect. (I guess that could be the whole world, correct?)
Who do these arrogant idiots think they are, God?
Just my two cents…
“All our lauded technology, our very civilization, is like the axe in the hand of the pathological criminal.”
—Albert Einstein
Disgusting. Such responsibility falling into the hands of the ignorant. Do these people just want to ignore the repercussions years down the road from such insolent decisions. THINK,THINK!!!! History tends to repeat itself in regards to stupid mistakes!!!!! Genetically engineered fish just sounds disturbing! First our fruits and veggies and now one of the most healthest sources of protein and Omega 3s going down the drain. HELPP
How does the FDA describe the PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE? Does it have any meaning? Who even looks to the possibilities of future consequences beyond the short term win of billions of dollars for corporations who now call the shots for most of the planet? “Why shouldn’t they? They’ve got the most money,” say the people of the Western world who seem to BELIEVE in money more than in any other identifiable value: after all, just as it says on all US money, “In God we trust”, isn’t the converse equally true for all church faiths, “In Money we trust”: wouldn’t it be a blasphemy to even imagine constraints on the almighty right to make a profit? Constraints on a business plan to make money? Unheard of!!! To the ruin of the world: Precautionary, smricautionary? What nonsense! The FDA or its equivalent in any country, the Food-Respecting Agency, reflects the relative health or sickness of all citizens’ respect for the essentials of life: air, water, food. FDA serves the rich: go hence & destroy all for your own hallowed private gain! Throw caution to the winds! You have lucra, the ultimate good.
It’s amazing how irresponsible people can be ! I hope GMO fish will never be allowed ! In this particular matter, GMO salmon is a threat for all salmons of the entire world. You are right, Randy !
This is more than disturbing!!! This shows that unless more people and I mean very many more – do not stand up to fight against this invasion of control by the government and its scientists and agencies – this earth – oceans and planet will not survive. If they want to create more fish to eat then do it inland where these genetically altered fish cannot escape and destroy the true fish that have lived and spawned for centuries.
We need to take a stand against this abuse of power by the FDA. If they allow this Salmon and allow it without labels they are taking away my right to know what I am eating and not allowing me to decide if I want to eat GM foods (which I do not). If you would like to join other voters in taking a stand against GM Foods please consider joining the Food Bloc page on votingbloc.org.
http://www.votingbloc.org/Food_Bloc.php
I am so disgusted by all of this. The FDA will approve anything with some money behind it. How are we suppose to do anything besides sign petitions they wont listen to? The FDA approves more than plenty horrifying things each year, how can they even be stopped? Why doesn’t any of the PEOPLE have a say? Can anybody answer me that?
Ugh, this is SO frustrating!! What kind of world are we going to leave for our children if the FDA starts approving GM animals for human consumption :(
We in the northwest do not want our valuable supply of wild salmon inundated and destroyed by GE salmon. The wild Alaskan salmon is the only salmon on the planet that is not contaminated by poisonous substances. Stop GE salmon.
Can No One Stop This Terrible Distortion Of The Natural Workl, Which Left Alone & Managed In A Sustaiable Way Will Continue To Serve All Our Needs. It Is The Natural Way Working In Harmony, We Have Already Done So Much Damage, And It Is Time To Call A Halt, For The Sake Of Immediate Profit & Financial Gain We Are Destroying Our Planet & All It’s Creatures. What About Our Children What Kind Of Legacy Are We Leaving Them; Say No To GM Anything.
Peter Boxall
realalternativesite.com RAS
[...] response to this news, a coalition of 31 advocacy groups released a statement, urging the FDA to NOT approve the fish: Each year millions of farmed salmon escape from open-water [...]
What’s up next? Genetically engineered humans? How low can the FDA possibly sink before they kill all of us – or mutate all of us?
I find it hard to believe the FDA – the people who accept our tax payer money for their paychecks, the people who are supposed to protect us against dangerous foodstuffs can possibly be so ignorant as to fall for this.
Our tax dollars pay for the salaries of the FDA and yet they have the audacity to do exactly what most of us do not want them to do. Not only do they approve of genetically modifying our food but they also approve of not telling us what food is GM and what isn’t. I thought we lived in a country that gave us the right to know these things. Apparently these rights re being taken from us and only a few of us are bothering to speak up and speak out. Only a few of us are taking any kind of action at all. Perhaps part of the reason for this is that most of us do not know these things are happening to us.