GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, have been in our food supply since 1994, when the Food and Drug Administration first approved the sale of the Flavr Savr tomato, a genetically altered tomato with delayed ripening time. Since, dozens of GMO crops have been approved for cultivation and sale in the United States. And in late 2015, the world’s first genetically modified animal joined the roster of approved GMOs.
Meet AquAdvantage salmon: A genetically altered Atlantic salmon that has been given a growth hormone from the Chinook salmon and a gene from an eel-like fish called an ocean pout. This gives the AquAdvantage a literal advantage over the natural Atlantic salmon: It grows twice as fast on half the amount of feed. Critics of the fish have taken to calling it the “Frankenfish,” and this moniker at least captures the beast’s growth rate, given that the fish is ready for consumption a full year-and-a-half before its conventionally raised relative.
Proponents argue that the fish’s quick growth and amazing 1:1 feed-to-growth ratio can ease the pressure on wild-salmon populations, reducing the ecological impact of farmed salmon because the farming of this new type of salmon requires less time and less feed, and the process produces less waste. Indeed, bringing some relief to the salmon industry would be no small contribution.
The world’s amazing appetite for salmon is, frankly, not sustainable. Farmed salmon are raised on what are called “forage fish,” which are smaller varieties of fish like sardines and anchovies, and it often takes nearly 4 pounds of wild fish to produce a single pound of consumable salmon. The AquAdvantage’s more-efficient feed-to-growth ratio could certainly put a dent in this need for forage fish.
Wild Alaskan salmon is not immune to overfishing, either. It is now common practice for hatcheries to “supplement” wild stocks. As much as a third of the wild Alaskan salmon sold today is actually hatched and raised to adolescence in captivity before being released into ocean waters.
If this engineered salmon is, in fact, safe for consumption, it could prove to be a benefit to both consumers and the environment. Mass production and distribution would ease the burden on the ocean’s ecosystem, allowing those with fewer resources to access affordable salmon more regularly. Even though wild salmon will still be nutritionally superior, a cheap and abundant farmed-salmon would be better than no salmon.
Of course, there are concerns about the impacts that the engineered salmon would have on the natural ecosystem, were the species ever introduced into ocean waters. The engineered salmon would easily be able to outcompete natural salmon, and interbreeding could alter the ecosystem in unforeseeable ways.
Due to these concerns and the understandably controversial nature of their work, AquaBounty Technologies (based in Maynard, Massachusetts), the company responsible for the engineered salmon, has been in regulatory limbo with the FDA for years. They actually first approached the FDA about the development of a genetically modified fish 20 years ago.
In November of 2015, the FDA finalized their ruling that the AquAdvantage salmon is safe to consume and contains no material differences from nongenetically modified salmon. In FDA lingo, “no material differences” means that they do not find a difference in nutritional profile between the two types of fish. In fact, as part of the ruling in November, the FDA announced that labeling of the genetically modified salmon would not be required.
In FDA’s own words: “Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the FDA can only require additional labeling of foods derived from GE [genetically engineered] sources if there is a material difference—such as a different nutritional profile—between the GE product and its non-GE counterpart. In the case of the AquAdvantage Salmon, the FDA did not find any such differences.”
It is important to note that “non-GE counterpart” is in reference to conventionally raised farmed salmon. According to the Department of Agriculture, there is a nutritional-profile difference between wild and farmed salmon. Namely, wild salmon have fewer calories, less fat, a better n-3 to n-6 ratio, more calcium, more iron, more zinc, more potassium, and less sodium. Because the AquAdvantage salmon will be exclusively farm-raised, by requirement, the nutritional profile will be similar to that of a conventional farm-raised salmon.
In my view, even if the nutritional profiles are similar, it is ridiculous that in this country we do not label GMOs, and foods containing GMOs, as such. Regardless of the government’s stance on the safety of such foods, customers have the right to choose to avoid them if that is their preference.
The “GMOs are safe for long-term consumption” ruling also strikes me as premature. It’s simply impossible to know whether or not long-term effects from the consumption of any of these organisms exist, because no such long-term study is yet available. It would be more accurate for the FDA to utter the regulatory equivalent of “I dunno. Let’s see what happens.”
As for environmental contamination concerns, the FDA stipulated that the approved salmon must be raised only in one of two contained, land-based tanks operated by AquaBounty, which are located in Canada and Panama. Currently, the breeding or raising of the salmon is not permitted within the borders of the United States. AquaBounty itself recognizes the potential for damage to the natural ecosystem if the engineered salmon were to mate with wild species. As a precaution, the company sterilizes its salmon, which are all female, preventing the possibility of mating in the unlikely event that the salmon are introduced into ocean waters.
Familiar-sounding plot? That’s because it is the same argument used by the company responsible for restoring Velociraptors from extinction in the book and movie-series Jurassic Park. And we all remember how that went. I am reminded of the immortal words of Dr. Ian Malcolm, “Life finds a way.”
Dinosaur references aside, this ruling is viewed as a victory for AquaBounty. It is a big step toward being able to finally sell to the American market. However, roadblocks remain. In January 2016, just two months after declaring it safe for consumption, the FDA abruptly banned the import and sale of AquAdvantage salmon—for now.
The FDA’s hand was forced in this case. Language added to the 2016 Appropriations Omnibus Act (a spending bill) mandated that the FDA forbid the sale of AquAdvantage until it finalizes rules for labeling of the genetically engineered salmon. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, was the driving force behind this ban.
“This is a huge step in our fight against ‘Frankenfish,’” Murkowski said in a statement. “I firmly believe that mandatory labeling guidelines must be put in place as soon as possible so consumers know what it is they are purchasing. It seems the FDA has begun to listen, and I hope this is a sign that the agency plans to develop these necessary guidelines.”
Though perhaps temporary, the legislation was viewed as a victory for opponents of the uber-salmon. While the finalization of labeling guidelines could feasibly take the FDA years, the spending bill forbidding the sale of the engineered salmon expired in September 2016.
Seeking a more permanent option, Murkowski introduced the Genetically Engineered Salmon Labelling Act in March of 2016, which, if it becomes law, will mandate that the term “genetically engineered” be included in all labeling and marketing of the AquAdvantage. At the time of this writing, this bill is still in committee with no set date for a vote.
In the meantime, the FDA is maintaining the ban. Their most recent communication on the issue indicates that the ban will be upheld pending either the finalization of their labeling rules or a change in language in the 2017 version of the Appropriations Omnibus Act.
Though pesky, regulations are just the tip of the iceberg. AquaBounty does not anticipate being able to scale production enough to approach the American market until 2018. Additionally, regardless of regulations, finding the fish in stores is likely to be relatively difficult. It is a question of scale and availability. The American market for salmon is so large that, at least in the beginning stages, AquaBounty’s salmon will only be able to satisfy a tiny fraction of the insatiable demand.
As a small fish in a big ocean (pardon the pun), the engineered salmon will have some difficulty finding distributors. Many major chains including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Safeway, Kroger, and Red Lobster have all released statements saying that they will not be stocking the salmon, regardless of regulation.
Visibly, a complex issue with no easy answers. If the FDA’s assessment is correct and the AquAdvantage is safe for human consumption, there are very real benefits for the environment and the accessibility of an affordable fatty-rich fish—but the audacity of not labelling the orchestration for what it is, is ludicrous. Though cloaked in complex regulatory language, I suspect the real reason that American consumers are kept in the dark about which foods contain GMOs is to protect the industry. It is a lot harder to avoid buying GMOs if you don’t know where they are.
Labelled or not, this salmon is monumental, because it will open the door for other genetically engineered animals to enter the food supply. And like it or not, our food supply is and will continue to be an experiment. Of course, if you’re worried about unknowingly eating genetically engineered salmon, just look for the label “wild-caught.”
