Stopping Genetically Engineered Salmon

• Facebook
• Twitter

A new generation of genetically engineered (GE) organisms, genetically engineered animals, are being allowed to enter the market without appropriate oversight or assessment of health and environmental risks. These GE animals are being engineered to fit into filthy, polluting, inhumane factory farms and industrial food systems that are fueling the climate crisis, harming communities and abusing animals.

AquaBounty Technologies, a US-based biotechnology and aquaculture company, developed a genetically salmon, also known as "Frankenfish," the world's first commercialized GE food animal intended for direct human consumption. These GE salmon posed risks to wild salmon and human health - yet the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved the GE salmon for human consumption.

Fortunately, thanks to a mix of advocacy by Friends of the Earth and allies and consumer rejection, AquaBounty just shuttered its last GE salmon facility.

GE salmon are genetically modified organisms engineered to be suited for industrial fish farming. They were created using a gene modification that causes production of a growth hormone year-round, creating a fish that supposedly grows double the rate of the non-engineered salmon, but which doesn't grow faster than conventionally farmed salmon. Thus, there is no benefit for this engineered salmon compared to farmed salmon.

Each year, millions of farmed conventional salmon escape from open-water net pens which then cause them to outcompete with wild salmon populations for resources. This infiltration of farmed salmon into natural habitats also strains ecosystems, especially when these conventional salmon grow at even faster rates than wild salmon. There's also a potential for escaped GE salmon to alter the genetics of wild salmon and potentially lead to extinction of wild populations through mating. On top of that, native salmon populations are already facing declines from factory fish farming, over-fishing, and other human activities.

Wild salmon are critical to the livelihoods and cultural heritage of Indigenous and fishing communities - so the threat to wild salmon is a threat to the wellbeing of these communities. Companies like AquaBounty say their mission is to 'feed the world.' In reality, these companies displace resilient local food systems in favor of destructive industrial food systems.

Health-wise, GE salmon was approved for human consumption before a full health assessment could be done to ensure it is safe for consumers. Data on the fish is extremely sparse; however, antibiotics routinely used in farm-raised fish could be harmful to human health as they're ingested. AquaBounty's GE salmon also were found to have 40% higher levels of a hormone called IGF-1, which may increase the risk of certain cancers. Instead of a proper unbiased review, FDA determined the fish were safe to eat based on inadequate data provided by AquaBounty.

Due to the many risks and threats that GE salmon presents, we teamed up with a broad coalition of environmental groups and Indigenous and fishing communities more than a decade ago to push back on this unnecessary and risky GE fish. Over the years, we were able to send comments from nearly 2 million people - scientists, fishers, business owners and consumers - to the FDA opposing the approval of the salmon. And, once FDA did approve GE salmon for commercial sale, we immediately sued the FDA. AquaBounty faced multiple legal challenges over its environmental assessment and a whistleblower report that highlighted safety violations and environmental infractions.

Our advocacy also amassed commitments from more than 80 retailers and food service companies, including Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Aramark, Sodexo, Compass Group, Red Lobster, and Legal Seafood, to reject GE salmon. On top of the risks GE salmon presents, these commitments largely came about due to pure consumer opposition to the salmon. Polls show that 95% of consumers believe that GE food animals should be labeled. Further, most consumers said they would not eat GE fish if it became available. It was clear there was no demand for this risky and unnecessary GE animal. Ultimately, the company announced that it will stop production of all GE salmon, cull its remaining fish, and close its last working facility.

Our advocacy made it crystal clear: People do not want to eat GE salmon and there is no place for this or other GE animals on the market. Instead of genetically engineered animals designed to fit into industrial systems, we need ecologically regenerative diversified food production and sustainable fishing that supports food sovereignty, communities and our environment.

This campaign was a huge success and demonstrates that by working together we can push back successfully on unnecessary and risky false solutions that perpetuate destructive industrial agriculture and corporate control of our food systems.