Ecologists and advocacy groups in Canada are reeling from a Canadian government decision today.
The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN), Ecology Action Centre, Living Oceans Society and the Quebec network Vigilance OGM are all expressing concerns over government approval of GM salmon for human consumption.
“Canadians could now be faced with the world’s first GM food animal, approved with no public consultation and no labelling,” said Lucy Sharratt of CBAN.
The GM fish are produced by a US company, AquaBounty, based in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. (AquaBounty is now majority owned by biotechnology company Intrexon)
The government agency Health Canada made the announcement today.
This becomes the world’s first genetically modified (GM) food animal to be approved for human consumption. The US had given approval in 2015 for commercial sale, but there is an import ban in effect until a labelling standard is established.
The genetically engineered Atlantic salmon incorporate genes from a Chinook salmon, and ocean pout in order to grow much faster to market size.
In November 2013, Environment Canada had approved the technology to commercially produce the GM eggs and fish which led to a lawsuit by
the environmental groups Ecology Action Centre and Living Oceans Society. That lawsuit is ongoing even as Health Canada gave its approval notice today.
A recent poll shows that 88 per cent of Canadian consumers want mandatory labelling of all GM foods.
“At the very least, the government should immediately establish mandatory labelling of all GM foods so consumers can choose,” said Thibault Rehn of Vigilance OGM.
Additional information- sources
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.