Questions and answers about genetically engineered salmon

1 Are genetically engineered (GE) salmon different from wild salmon?
2 Are there GE fish on the market now?
3 Are GE fish safe to eat?
4 Do GE salmon threaten wild salmon populations?
5 But aren't GE fish raised in enclosed ponds?
6 The company says that the fish will be sterile and so won't be able to breed with natural fish so where is the danger?
7 How do regulations protect the environment from the risks of GE fish?
8 If GE fish are approved in the US how does this affect other countries?
9 Don't we need more food from GE fish to feed the growing population?
10 What can I do?

Q: Are genetically engineered (GE) salmon different from wild salmon?

A: Yes. They are fundamentally different from wild or natural species. Genetically engineered salmon contain unnaturally high levels of a growth hormone that would not occur in natural fish. These fish are capable of growing two to three times faster than even farmed salmon grown under the same conditions.

A patent application granted to the company in September 2001 by the European Patent Office reports on experiments leading to fish eight times bigger than normal salmon.

Q: Are there GE fish on the market now?

A: No, but some companies, one called A/F Protein in particular, are planning to bring GE salmon to dinner tables this year. Other types of GE fish also being experimented upon for commercial development include tilapia, trout and carp.

Q: Are GE fish safe to eat?

A: Genetic engineering of fish is an experiment, so right now no one knows for certain whether these fish are safe too eat. The salmon have been genetically engineered to produce a growth hormone naturally found in a different species of fish, in such quantities that it grows two to three times the normal yearly rate. The implications for safety of consumption of the meat has not been investigated.

We do know that the fish's health could be compromised. Studies have shown that the excessive growth rates make growth deformities common, including in the head which can impede the fish's ability to eat.

Poor health of the fish might have downstream impacts on those who eat the fish. This needs further investigation.

Right now The US FDA is currently examining the first commercial application for GE fish. They are looking at it as a “New Animal Drug” rather than as a food product.

Q: Do GE salmon threaten wild salmon populations?

A: Yes. Scientists at Purdue University (in the US) have conducted a study demonstrating how GE fish could lead to the extinction of wild populations if released into open waters. The scientists found that certain GE fish had a mating advantage over wild species due to their unnaturally large size. In addition, their study showed that some GE fish did not produce as many viable offspring as their natural counterparts. This combination forces the population into decline. Using computer modeling, the Purdue scientists showed that it would take only 60 GE fish in a population of 60,000 wild fish to cause species extinction within 40 generations.

Q: But aren't GE fish raised in enclosed ponds?

A: Escapes from fish farms are routine. The majority of farmed Atlantic salmon are raised in shallow waters, or ocean net pens. Escapes from net pens are frequent and virtually impossible to prevent. Approximately 300,000 fish escaped from a single Washington State fish farm in the summer of 1999. Between 1991 and 1999 more than 280,000 fish escaped from fish farms in British Columbia. Even indoor ponds typically recirculate water into the environment, an escape route for fish or eggs..

Q: The company says that the fish will be sterile and so won't be able to
breed with natural fish, so where is the danger?

A: There is no such thing as a 100 percent guarantee of sterility. Sterility of genetically engineered fish is inherently uncertain given the possibility for human error and natural variation. A/F Protein is already talking about having orders for 15 million eggs. Only a handful of these need be fertile to potentially destroy natural populations of wild fish.

Q: How do regulations protect the environment from the risks of GE fish?

A: They don’t. Currently no national or international regulations adequately protect the environment from the risks associated with GE fish. The first application for approval of GE fish anywhere in the world is being considered by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the US. This is completely inappropriate since the FDA has no relevant environmental experience and is not an appropriate body to deal with an international issue that affects the world's oceans.

Q: If GE Fish are approved in the US how does this affect other countries?

A: Once released into ocean ponds, fish will escape. Fish do not obey national boundaries so any release of GE fish will be international. The company involved also plans to sell GE fish eggs around the world. The release of GE fish is a matter of international concern in which we all have a stake, and to which every government should have an opportunity to say no.

Q: Don't we need more food from GE fish to feed the growing population?

A: It takes three to five pounds of fish meal and fish oil to produce one pound of farmed salmon (1). So GE salmon farming will actually reduce the amount of fish protein available in the world, not increase it.

Q: What can I do?

A: You can:

1. Join the Greenpeace consumer network in your country. Visit www.greenpeace.org/~geneng/.

2. Tell the FDA not to approve GE salmon! Contact: Dr. Stephen F. Sundlof, dirctor FDA, email: ssundlof@cvm.fda.gov.