AquaBounty Technologies is defending the environmental safety of its genetically engineered (GE) salmon production facility in Panama after receiving a fine of USD 9,500 (EUR 7,457).
The Panamanian National Environmental Authority (PNEA) fined AquaBounty recently, saying its farm failed to secure permits related to water use and water discharge prior to beginning operations; had levels of total coliform bacteria outside of the acceptable range; and did not have a fire control system in place, among other violations in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
As a result of the fine, NGOs Food & Water Watch, Center for Food Safety and Friends of the Earth called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to terminate AquaBounty’s regulatory review and deny the copmany’s pending application to sell GE salmon in the U.S. market.
“The application considers [GE] salmon from this particular facility, which is now shown to violate regulations. The FDA’s environmental assessment should assess the environmental integrity of this project based on what is actually happening in Panama with the facility and violations, and should not base its assessments on the false promises of AquaBounty,” Dana Perls, food and technology policy campaigner for Friend of the Earth, told SeafoodSource.
“FDA has always assured the public that it is checking, monitoring and regulating AquaBounty’s production platform to ensure the company can mitigate the well-documented environmental impacts of escaped GE salmon,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, in a statement. “We now know that AquaBounty is unwilling or unable to follow basic rules and regulations, and FDA is unable or unwilling to enforce them. It’s time to put an end to this dangerous experiment.”
However, AquaBounty CEO Ron Stotish says the company complied with all of PNEA’s regulations after the problems were brought to its attention and that the violations should not affect the FDA’s review of its AquAdvantage® salmon.
“We do not believe this warrants any further attention by Canada or the U.S. It doesn’t have any relevance to our products. None of these issues question the containment or environmental safety of our operation. These are permitting issues and we do not think they are relevant,” Stotish told SeafoodSource.
The PNEA’s resolution was released this summer, basically closing its investigation and issuing a fine. The way that environmental groups are presenting past permitting issues is “dishonest,” Stotish said.
“They are trying to create an issue where there is not an issue. Their press release tries to create the impression that there is something unsafe about our operations and that is blatantly misleading. It is some of the same issues you would have if you were building an addition on your house.”
When PNEA initially brought the permitting issues and other violations to the attention of AquaBounty, the company “addressed them immediately.”
In addition, some of Panama’s permitting requirements were developed after the facility was built. For example, “We weren’t told we needed a construction permit when we built the site eight years ago,” Stotish said. And, with the water discharge permit, the company “applied for one and got everything up to snuff with the authorities.”
However, the activist groups claim that AquaBounty’s facility in Panama has long experienced serious security issues, including a storm-related accident that lead to “lost” salmon. However, Stotish said the facility has visitors from various government agencies nearly every week and there have been “no issues raised with environmental issues or containment.”
“We have also filed an Environmental Impact Study in Panama with the Biosecurity Commission and that was accepted.”
