The FDA today began accepting public comments on labelling guidelines for genetically modified salmon. The FDA voted Thursday to approve the salmon, marking the first time a genetically modified animal has been approved for human consumption.
• Quotes:
“Concerns about escapes into the wild are legitimate in the abstract, but the approval was contingent on the particular facility being used, and in this particular case there’s really not much cause for concern,” said Martin Smith, a professor of environmental economics at Duke University.
“There are multiple biosecurity measures in the process that minimize the risks that these fish will inbreed with wild populations.”
“If the salmon were to escape they’d be escaping into a fresh water system in Panama, nowhere near wild salmon populations. This approval is contingent on the particular facility being used. Were they to scale up or expand, they’d have to seek further approval.”
“There’s no evidence whatsoever that we should have concerns for human health in consuming this salmon. Furthermore, there are aspects of the technology that have a lot of potential to be beneficial to the environment.”
“Using less feed, growing in a land-based facility and growing fish in a shorter period of time all have the potential to produce fish using fewer resources.”
• Bio:Martin Smith, a professor of environmental economics at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, studies the economics of the oceans, including fisheries, marine ecosystems, seafood markets and coastal climate adaptation. He is editor-in-chief of the journal Marine Resource Economics. http://nicholas.duke.edu/people/faculty/smithhttps://nicholas.duke.edu/n...
For additional comment, contact Smith at:martin.smith@duke.edu