It’s a possibility that two environmental groups will appeal a federal court ruling in Canada which approved of the production of genetically modified salmon eggs in Prince Edward Island last month.
With a deadline set for early February, the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax along with the Living Oceans Society are pondering whether to challenge the court’s decision to approve AquaBounty’s GM salmon for production – a decision that overturned the conclusion reached by Environment Canada. Mark Butler of the Ecology Action Centre informed Global News of the deadline, which both NGOs are aware of and considering.
According to the Ecology Action Center and the Living Oceans Society, the federal government did not adhere to its own legislative guidelines, failing to conduct a full assessment of AquaBounty before the company’s processes and product were approved. This was argued in court by both groups, but Judge Russel W. Zinn dismissed the claims, stating that the federal ministers’ decisions “were reasonable” and in line with the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
Following the court’s ruling, AquaBounty CEO Ron Stotish reinforced the company’s claim that its GM eggs and products do not pose any risk to the environment or human health. AquaBounty’s products were given the greenlight for sale by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November.
