With Approval of Frankenfish

Comes Flood of Critiques

Since the federal Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of Aquabounty’s “AquaAdvantage” genetically engineered (GE) salmon product, a wealth of editorials in national newspapers has focused on the need to inform consumers that they may be purchasing GE food products–a requirement that FDA punted when they issued guidelines for voluntary labeling GE foods along with their approval of AquaAdvantage, rather than mandatory regulations. The AquaAdvantage fish, which has been approved as a safe drug for human consumption, is actually a genetic compound of Atlantic salmon and ocean pout, and is engineered to grow to market size in two years rather than three. Critics worry that, despite restrictions on where AquAdvantage fish may be grown, they will escape into the wild and attack wild salmon gene pools, eventually outcompeting and eliminating historical salmon runs.

To Review Critiques of GE Fish, see this 1 December New York Times editorial, this 2 December New York Times editorial, this 16 November Vice News article,and this 1 December Salon column on what happens when a GE fish and a King salmon meet in a stream.