Genetically Engineered Salmon...Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Fish

Are you comfortable feeding transgenic animals to your children? If not, speak now or forever hold your fish. Here’s your only chance to say no.

GE Salmon

(SALEM, Ore.) - This decision will open the flood gates for approval of any and all transgenic or “mutant” species. Are you comfortable with the mixing and miss-matching of genes from different animals? Are you comfortable feeding them to your children? Here’s your only chance to say no.

The first genetically engineered animal is about to find its way onto your dinner plate. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now considering granting the release of genetically modified salmon for public consumption. Below, you have an opportunity to say no. Keep reading.

Meanwhile, the hearing for the GE Atlantic salmon is scheduled for Sept. 19th by the FDA Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee. Public comment will be offered Sept. 20, 2010 between approximately 2:45 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Those who wish to present oral comments must have sent written requests by September 7. “This is not a process that leads to full and informed public participation,” said Charles Margulis, Sustainable Food Program Coordinator for the Center for Environmental Health.

On August 27, a coalition made up of 31 consumer, environmental and animal welfare groups, along with food retailers and recreational fisheries submitted a joint statement strongly opposing the approval of the AquAdvantage transgenic salmon.

Aqua Bounty bio-engineers have created a trans-genic, or “mutant” species of fish. The GE Atlantic salmon is developed, combining favorable genes (DNA) from the Pacific salmon and the anti-freeze genes of an eelpout fish, thereby creating a new salmon species that produces a growth-hormone, year-round, so the fish will grow at twice the normal rate.

If the GE fish is approved it is unlikely that there will be any product labeling. Without testing or Environment Impact Statements, scientists have no way of knowing the results upon consumer health, the environment or our current salmon populations. This decision will open the flood gates to approval of any and all trans-genic or “mutant” species.

“FDA’s decision to go ahead with this approval process is misguided and dangerous, and is made worse by its complete lack of data to review” said Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director for the Center for Food Safety. “FDA has been sitting on this application for 10 years and yet it has chosen not to disclose any data about its decision until just a few days before the public meeting.”

The Center for Food Safety reports the company first applied for approval of the fish in 2001, but the Bush Administration delayed its approval until it was out of office. FFurthermore the Obama Administration, who came to office promising more environmentally sound and transparent processes, is using the Bush Administration-framework for the approval of genetically engineered animals. This process uses the fiction that the genetically engineered salmon is, in effect, an animal “drug.”

The failure of the FDA to develop a transparent process for the approval of GE animals and instead use the secretive process of the New Animal Drug regulations means that consumers will be deprived of basic information as to the safety of these animals.

Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences notes that a release of just sixty GE salmon into a wild population of 60,000 would lead to the extinction of the wild population within 40 generations.

Food and Water Watch fish program director Marianne Cufone says that millions of farmed salmon escape each year from open-water net pens, out-competing wild populations for resources and straining ecosystems. “We believe any approval of GE salmon would represent a serious threat to the survival of native salmon populations, many of which have already suffered severe declines related to salmon farms and other man-made impacts.”

We are being urged to tell the Food and Drug Administration not to approve GE salmon AND, if the Obama Administration insists on approving these genetically engineered fish, it should require the fish to be labeled when marketed to fish farmers, fish retailers, food companies, restaurants, and consumers.

You can join the 31 member coalition opposing the release of GE salmon including the Center for Food Safety, Food and Water Watch, SalmonAid, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, Organic Consumers Association, Friends of the Earth, The Living Oceans Society, Small Boat Commercial Salmon Fisherman’s Association, The Georgia Strait Alliance, Californians for GE Free Agriculture, The Organic & Non-GMO Report, Planetary Health, Inc., Sierra Club, Say No To GMOS, Center for Environmental Health, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, Institute for Fisheries Resources, America Anti-Vivisection Society, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association, Mangrove Action Project, Food First Institute for Food and Development Policy, Eden Foods, Inc., The Non-GMO Project, Northwest Resistance Against Genetic Engineering, PCC Natural Markets, Amberwaves, Glouster Fisherman’s Wives Association, Washington Biotechnology Action Council, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility.

In a sense, are we walking a genetic “cake walk”. Are you comfortable with the mixing and miss-matching of genes from different species? Where is the line to be drawn? Apparently there will not be one because transgenic pigs have already been developed and are next to market.

Are you comfortable feeding transgenic animals to your children? If not, speak now or forever hold your fish. Here’s your only chance to say no.

Please take action now by clicking on this link: https://secure3.convio.net/cfs/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=325


1) Food and Drug Administration:
http://www.fda.gov/AdvisoryCommittees/Calendar/ucm223823.htm

2)  31 Member Coalition - Joint Press Statement:
http://truefoodnow.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/final-joint-press-statement-coalition-demands-fda-deny-approval-of-ge-fish-8-27-10.pdf

3) Center For Food Safety:
http://truefoodnow.org/2010/08/27/coalition-demands-fda-deny-approval-of-controversial-genetically-engineered-fish/


Need help removing GMOs from your diet? Check out http://www.gmofreeportland.com This grassroots organization is working with Portland area restaurants and retailers and those in outer communities to build a network of GMO-free options. They are standing by to give you personal guidance to help you choose alternatives to genetically engineered foods.

April Scott has been an avid writer since she learned how to spell. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology with a minor in Radio-Television from Eastern Washington University. Her media career began at KXLY (Spokane, Wa) in 1996. She produced several popular talk shows on AM 920 including “All About Crime” with host Mark Fuhrman. April also produced the highly successful Rick Miller show, while simultaneously developing a successful career in ad sales and copywriting for Rock 94.5, another KXLY station.

In 2002 she worked as a copywriter and online editor for KATU News (Portland). She is dedicated to sharing her knowledge and experience, and hopes that by educating people about the chemical content in our modern food supply, they will become smarter consumers.