FDA Approves Genetically Engineered Salmon

Written by Stephen Kenney

On Thursday November 19^th, U.S. health regulators decided that AquAdvantage salmon is as safe to eat as any non-genetically engineered (GE) Atlantic salmon.  This approval was the first such approval for an animal whose DNA had been scientifically modified.  The FDA also will not require companies to label the genetically modified food.

AquAdvantage Salmon is a product of AquaBountyTechnologies.  The AquAdvantage Salmon are Atlantic salmon that reach market size more quickly than non-GE farm-raised Atlantic Salmon.  AquaBounty claims that the salmon can grow to market size in half the time required for conventional salmon.  The genetically modified fish is an Atlantic salmon with a Pacific salmon gene for faster growth and a gene from the eel-like ocean pout that promotes year round growth.

Five years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first began the evaluation of GE salmon.  The Salmon can only be raised in land-based hatchery tanks in two specific facilities that are located in Canada and Panama.  The FDA ultimately approved the safety of the fish because the data demonstrated that the “inserted genes remained stable over several generations of fish, that food from the GE salmon is safe to eat by humans and animals, that the genetic engineering is safe for the fish, and the salmon meets the sponsor’s (AquaBounty) claim about faster growth.”  The FDA also assessed the environmental impacts of the fish and found that there would not be a significant impact on the environment because of the containment measures that will be put into place at the hatcheries.  The agency also found that there is not a risk of the fish reproducing with wild fish because the GE fish are sterile.

Activist groups and grocers are not convinced that the GE fish is a safe alternative.  Activist groups are concerned that the genetically modified food may pose a risk to the environment or public health.  Kroger, a national grocery chain, said that it has “no intention of sourcing or selling genetically engineered salmon.”  Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market Inc. also do not intend to carry the modified fish.

Chesapeake Bay Update: The Chesapeake Bay Program Posts Abridged Watershed Agreement for Public Comments

On July 10, 2013, the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) released an abridged version of its Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The agreement, which is in its draft stage, is available for public input until August 15, 2013.

The CBP states that the agreement “outlines new goals and outcomes that will guide partners in protection, restoration and stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay.” The first Chesapeake Bay Agreement was signed in 1983, and the most current agreement was signed in 2000. The CBP hopes to evolve the Chesapeake Bay restoration process and stewardship effort through the new agreement.

The draft agreement contains a number of goals and outcomes including the maintenance of fisheries and enhancement of water quality. The signatories of the agreement will indicate their level of involvement in the Management Strategies developed to execute the goals and outcomes “depending upon relevance, resources, priorities, or other factors enhancing or limiting participation.”

The CBP states that once a final draft is created, stakeholder input will be solicited again.

For more information or to provide input, please see the CBP website on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.

Please visit our Chesapeake Bay Resource Area for more information on the history of Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreements.

Written by Sarah Doyle - Research Assistant

The Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center

@PSUAgLawCenter

July 15, 2013