Canadian politician Fin Donnelly on Thursday tabled a motion in the House of Commons asking for transparency and more study before genetically modified (GM) Atlantic salmon are approved for human consumption.
Last September, U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientists preliminary determined that the GM salmon, called AquAdvantage Salmon, developed by Waltham, Mass., biotechnology firm AquaBounty Technologies is safe for human consumption. But the status of any requests for approval from the company to the Canadian government — the salmon will be produced in Canada — are unknown because Canadian agencies will not disclose the information, said Donnelly, a member of the New Democratic Party.
The motion asks the Canadian government to explain its regulations and to set up a system to notify the public about any requests for approval. It also asks the government to “prevent the introduction of GM salmon destined for human consumption into the Canadian food system until further scientific studies are concluded by the relevant departments to determine the impact of GM salmon on human health and on the health of marine species, ecosystems and habitats.”
Click here to view a SeafoodSource interview with AquaBounty President and CEO Dr. Ron Stotish.
