Why Genetically Engineered Salmon Will Benefit Its Biotech Creators -- And Nobody Else

At an FDA hearing yesterday on whether genetically engineered salmon should be allowed on the market, Ron Stotish, CEO of biotech company AquaBounty Technologies explained that his AquAdvantage farmed salmon is perfectly safe and no different than normal salmon. The problem is that even if these assertions are true -- and the FDA seems inclined to believe that they are -- it's hard to see why anyone really needs this new technology.

Except for AquaBounty, that is. Government approval for the first ever GE animal would be a huge boon to the Waltham, Mass.-based company, which has been working on its fish technology for 15 years and lost $2.5 million in just the first half of this year. Other biotech companies with promising GE animals also stand to hit the jackpot down the road since one approval would fling the doors wide open for others.

But for consumers, GE fish holds nothing but potential downsides. At the FDA hearing, groups like Food & Water Watch and Consumers Union warned that AquaBounty's "frankenfish" could trigger allergies in humans and that none of the company's non-published, proprietary studies have looked at what happens long-term to people when they eat GE fish.

There's unfortunately no benefit to eating GE salmon, just as there isn't with biotech corn and soybeans. Your grilled GE salmon will not be any healthier or tastier, nor is it likely to be any cheaper. And worst of all, it probably won't be labeled, making it impossible for the many consumers who say they don't want GE fish to avoid it. Stotish's argument that GE fish doesn't need to be labeled because it's not any different ignores the fact that most consumers do in fact consider genetically modified to be "different." To some, quite different.

And what about salmon farmers? AquaBounty claims on its website that GE salmon offers a "compelling economic benefit" to fish farmers because it allows for a reduced growing cycle. AquAdvantage salmon grow twice as fast as their natural counterparts because they've been given a gene from a fish called the ocean pout, as well as a growth hormone from Chinook salmon. But any reduction farmers might get from that 10% improvement in feed conversion rates would be partly, if not completely offset, by the cost of paying for AquaBounty's patented salmon technology.

AquaBounty's salmon may, however, have some small environmental benefit since less feed is needed to grow the fish. But the company's claim that AquAdvantage salmon will help cut down on fossil fuel use for transportation because the fish can be grown in inland pens located near population centers instead of ocean nets doesn't hold up so well. As the Washington Post reports:

AquaBounty wants to incubate genetically modified eggs in Prince Edward Island, Canada, then ship them in plastic coolers to Panama. There they would be raised in land-based tanks and eventually processed before being transported to the United States for sale.

Despite this though, unmarked GE salmon appears bound for a fish counter or freezer aisle near you. The FDA seems likely to approve the technology, paving the way for AquaBounty's salmon in stores in perhaps two years.

Imagefrom Freefoto.com, CC 3.0
Related:

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• Obama Gives Former Food Lobbyist Michael Taylor a Second Chance at the FDA