Decision Delayed on AquAdvantage Salmon

• The FDA has not yet made their decision whether to approve a new genetically modified fish called the AquAdvantage Salmon.
• These fish are intended for human consumption.
• Scientists from the AquaBounty company modified a natural Atlantic salmon.  They added a growth-regulating gene from a quick-growing fish, the Ocean Pout.  They also added a gene from Chinook salmon (from the Pacific Ocean) that also controls growth. As a result of these two genes, the new GM salmon grows to the same size as a normal salmon in half the time.
• In their presentation to the FDA, AquaBounty scientists argued that their fish would not disrupt the ecosystem. They plan to grow the AquAdvantage salmon only in inland tanks, not in outdoor enclosures.
• But what if, at some point, these salmon were raised in outdoor enclosures and some escaped?  Would wild salmon populations be genetically contaminated?  The answer is not known.
• All four species of Atlantic salmon are currently endangered.  If GM salmon escaped to the Atlantic Ocean, they might outcompete the natural species to make them extinct.
• The risk of allergic reactions to GM salmon is not well understood.  Some scientists say there is probably no risk.  Professor Kevin Wells from the University of Missouri said, “This fish contains nothing that isn’t already in the human diet.”  But others speculate there may be a slight risk of allergy for some people.  Little is known about how to measure the potential risk.
• Besides the physical risks of human allergies and possible contamination of wild salmon populations, what could approving these GM fish mean for our species?  It appears that our species will be developing a lot of biotechnology this century.  Should humankind continue to pursue biotechnology?  Will the benefits outweigh the risks? These are questions only philosophers and future generations could answer.

AquAdvantage salmon (above), normal salmon (below)

Sources:

“FDA Committee Punts on question of biotech fish.” http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/09/21/fda-committee-punts-on-question-of-biotech-fish/ Discover Magazine. 21 Sept 2010

“GM food battle moves to fish as super-salmon nears FDA approval.” http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/sep/26/gm-food-battle-salmon Jamie Doward, The Guardian. 26 September 2010

Briefing Packet on AquAdvantage Salmon. Food and Drug Committee on Veterinary Medicine. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/VeterinaryMedicineAdvisoryCommittee/UCM224762.pdf  September 20 2010. Accessed on Nov 22, 2010.

Posted by: Anne Accettullo