AquaBounty is still waiting for approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for the approval to sell genetically modified salmon as food. Ron Stotish, CEO of AquaBounty, believes there could be a market of farmers who are interested in purchasing them, if they are approved, and are willing to grow the fish in land based facilities. Should the FDA approve these fish and the sale of their eggs, it could be the most heavily regulated aquaculture product on the market.

While the fish are modified to be sterile, there are still concerns about the fish entering the wild. It would be necessary to closely monitor farms that grow the fish to ensure proper practices are taking place.

[Environmentalist Lucy Sharrat shares her thoughts,] “And this is exactly where the risk to wild Atlantic salmon comes from,” said Sharratt. “These multiple locations, with different environmental conditions, where there’s no monitoring and enforcement of containment on inland facilities.”

…

Stotish said Sharratt’s concerns aren’t warranted.

“It’s not rocket science,” said Stotish.

“You conduct the same analysis. You use the same containment provisions, you use the scientific method, you do a risk assessment. Environmental assessments are in almost every aspect of our lives, almost every day of the year: mining, fishing, you know, zoning, real estate, home construction. I mean, this is not something new or novel. It’s something people know how to do and can be done.” [Read full article].

Participate in a CBC survey: Would you eat GMO salmon?

 

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