The top fish is genetically modified; the bottom fish is a normal farmed fish. (Photo: Stock File)

Island GMO salmon may be first to enter US market

CANADA
Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 21:10 (GMT + 9)

An aquaculture firm from Prince Edward Island may soon be getting a US federal thumbs up to introduce its genetically modified salmon to the US market. 

Aqua Bounty Farms in Fortune, in eastern PEI, applied for federal approval in the United States more than a decade ago. It has since been waiting to receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to export its genetically modified salmon.

The company's salmon would be the world's first on the market.

FDA officials visited Aqua Bounty's facilities last fall to inspect the operation and its inventory. When asked how long the decision to approve the export of the fish would take, a spokesperson for the federal agency stated "soon," but declined to elaborate further, CBC News reports.

Aqua Bounty's fish grows much faster than regular salmon. While it may take around three years to raise Atlantic salmon to commercial maturity on a fish farm, the addition of a couple of genes from the cold water chinook salmon has enabled Aqua Bounty's fish to grow twice as fast.

As a result, the aquaculture company is looking to sell its roe and smolts to other farmed fish producers in North America.

The FDA however must first determine that the fish is suitable for US consumers as well as weigh possible environmental impacts.

The PEI firm first applied for approval 12 years ago, and began submitting documentation seven years ago.

It is understandable that the FDA is taking its time before reaching a decision, stated Aqua Bounty CEO Ron Stotish last week.

"For an animal like ours, the environmental aspects are a concern to many people and that's a fair concern," he said. "We've done everything to mitigate those concerns, and we believe we're producing an animal that's safe to eat, safe for the environment."

There is a fear the genetically modified organisms (GMOs) might escape into the wild and breed will wild salmon stocks. Because of this, Stotish said Aqua Bounty has taken the extra step of sterilising all its salmon, and selling females only.

Stotish said he has eaten the GMO salmon.

"It's a very good fish. What most people realize when they actually see the fish, and have the opportunity to taste the fish, is it looks like a salmon, it behaves like a salmon, it is a salmon in every respect," he said.

By Denise Recalde
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

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