SoHum Label GMOs Group Asking You Take Action Now
Rosa Rashall & Isis Austin
Co-leaders, SoHum Label GMOs Group
Biotechnology companies and their friends in the FDA have reached a new low.
The FDA is about to approve Aquabounty’s GMO salmon. This will be the first GMO animal to be approved by the FDA.
Here is some background on the issue:
On December 21, 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a draft environmental assessment of the genetically engineered salmon in which they said that the salmon “would not have a significant impact on the U.S. environment.” The FDA also concluded the salmon to be “as safe as food from conventional Atlantic salmon.”If all goes as expected, the salmon could be available for consumers by late next year. How
This genetically engineered salmon will be the first GMO animal to be approved by the FDA. These genetically engineered salmon are Atlantic salmon that combines a growth hormone gene from Chinook salmon and a control gene from an eel-like fish called the ocean pout that cranks out the growth hormone.
The FDA chose to review AquaAdvantage (the patented name for this new “Frankenfish”) as an animal drug, rather than a human food. In the FDA’s view, the refashioned DNA that is in every cell of the fish’s body is considered a drug, and that’s what the agency is regulating. If approved, the AquaAdvantage salmon would not only be the first GE animal approved for human consumption, but also the first animal drug that’s theoretically capable of swimming off into the ocean and reproducing.Michael Hansen, a scientist at the Consumers Union states:
“We are deeply concerned that the potential of these fish to cause allergic reactions has not been adequately researched… the FDA has allowed this fish to move forward based on tests of allergenicity of only six engineered fish, tests that actually did show an increase in allergy-causing potential.”
Along with the concerns of the allergenicity of this GMO fish there are many others. There have been no long-term human feeding studies to find out what the consequences are of eating these fish. The FDA determined that GMO salmon are GRAS (generally recognized as safe) – like other GMO foods – which basically means that there is no requirement for further safety testing.
One can only wonder what the long-term health effects of eating genetically engineered sterile fish may be. Could it affect our ability to reproduce? We don’t know for sure, but we can look to the results of the rat-feeding studies on other GMO foods which showed the potential for sterility in the second generation– and that was from eating GMO foods, not GMO sterile fish.
As to sterile fish, at present, there is no method to guarantee 100 percent sterility.
The FDA’s own study recently found that five percent of the animals were in fact fertile. If large numbers of fish escape, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to deduce that some fertile fish might survive in the wild.
Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that a release of just 60 GE salmon into a wild population of 60,000 would lead to the extinction of the wild population in less than 40 fish generations. This is a horrible thought especially considering how we have been recently celebrating the regeneration of the local salmon population.
GMO salmon are unnecessary. They are a threat not only to the native salmon population and the fishing industry but most of all, to our biodiversity.
Once these GMO salmon escape into the wild there is no putting them back. It is like Pandora’s box, so to speak. What will happen when bears, eagles, otters and humans begin eating GMO salmon for the first time ever? We just don’t know, but one can only wonder if eating GMO salmon may potentially have the ability to alter the DNA of those consuming it. Studies regarding eating other types of GMO foods have clearly shown that this is entirely possible.How do you feel about GMO salmon? If you think the FDA is making a short-sighted decision, please express your concerns before the FDA public comment period ends.
Please comment before Midnight, Monday, February 25, EST.
Here is the ACTION ITEM info for FEBRUARY 1st
Please do both action items. If you can’t do it February 1st, you have until the 25th to submit a comment.
GLOBAL ACTION~~Call the FDA on Friday February 1st to demand that they halt the approval of Genetically Engineered Salmon.1) Call AND email the FDA Center for Veterinarian Medicine
~ Phone: 240-276-9300 ( 9 a.m. -5 p.m. EST) or (TOLL FREE at 888-463-6332 : when prompted, press 3 ‘to speak with an FDA representative,’ then press 6 for ‘animal, drugs & feed.’ This will take you to the office of FDA Center for Veterinarian Medicine.)
Leave your message with your concern about the approval of GMO Salmon with a return number where you can be reached.
~AND Email: AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov
2) Leave your comment to the FDA here before the Feb. 25th, 2013 deadline
~ Docket # FDA-2011-N-0899. http://www.regulations.gov/#!searchResults;rpp=25;po=0;s=FDA-2011-N-0899;fp=true;ns=true . This is extremely important, too.
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Ln. Room 1061
Rockville, MD 20852
A sample script of what you might include is as follows:
As a concerned (citizen/mother/fisherman/etc), I ask you not to approve AquaBounty’s transgenic salmon for human consumption. Genetically modified fish pose a real threat to natural marine species and the long-term effects of consuming transgenic meat have not been sufficiently researched. Worse, FDA’s approval of transgenic salmon could open the floodgates for genetically modified animals worldwide. I ask that you reject its approval.
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Thank you, everyone– please pass this on.
Rosa Rashall & Isis Austin
Co-leaders, SoHum Label GMOs Group
(Images by the Humboldt Sentinel. Posted by Skippy Massey)
Thanks for posting this Skippy! We really appreciate it.
As a concerned (citizen/mother/fisherman/etc), I ask you not to approve AquaBounty’s transgenic salmon for human consumption. Genetically modified fish pose a real threat to natural marine species and the long-term effects of consuming transgenic meat have not been sufficiently researched. Worse, FDA’s approval of transgenic salmon could open the floodgates for genetically modified animals worldwide. I ask that you reject its approval.
This is insane! I’m totally against gmo salmon. Are these mad scientists feeding their families this stuff! Please do not approve aquabounty gmo salmon.