A genetically engineered salmon, termed “Frankenfish” by critics of the project, has passed the first step on the way to becoming the first GE animal approved for American dinner tables.
The AquAdvantage salmon is developed in a way that transcends the fantasies of any SciFi writer: genetic material from Chinook (the largest Pacific salmon) and the eel-like Atlantic pout is inserted into the genome of Atlantic salmon, producing GE salmon that is all-female.
Eggs from these GE all-female salmon are then fertilised with sperm from a similar species, Arctic char, the fertilised eggs pressure-treated to produce diploid offspring – fish with two complete sets of chromosomes, both sets from the GE salmon.
That all-female diploid salmon is then treated with a hormone that turns them into what the AquaBounty Technologies call “neo-males”, genetically female fish that produce sperm instead of eggs.
The milt (sperm) from these GE “neo-males” is then used to fertilise eggs from “normal”, non-GE Atlantic salmon to finally turn out the end product, a line of all-female triploid GE Atlantic salmon.
According to AquaBounty’s plans, the eggs will be hatched in Prince Edward Island in Canada, then moved to grow up in a facility in – Panama.
All-in-all, the company claims that this GE salmon will grow to market weight in 16-18 months, instead of the 30 months it usually takes to grow farmed Atlantic salmon.
The only positive aspect critics can see in the process is that it takes place in freshwater only, avoiding the massive damage many salmon farms in the Oceans have caused to the environment.
The first step in the process of allowing the AquAdvantage salmon on US dinner tables came in early September, as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared it safe for consumption. The next step, although a long line of environmental organisation have already called for the process to be terminated, will be public consultations, including written responses to be presented by 22 November.
The outcome is seen as crucial, since it will set precedence for all future GA animals in the USA.
The FDA decision was based on scientific facts presented by AquaBounty, but both some independent scientists and NGOs have called that scientific basis “sloppy”, “misleading” and “woefully inadequate”.
The criticism includes remarks that in many of the tests AquaBounty used sample sizes much smaller than what is needed for a sound statistical judgement, and, when comparing physical deformities among GE and “normal” salmon, the best year was picked for the GE fish, and another year for the Atlantic salmon, that just “happened” to show the highest occurrence of deformities.
The protesters have included Mark Begich, senator for Alaska, a state with an important salmon industry, both natural and farmed.
“Let’s call this genetically engineered fish for what it is: Frankenfish,” he said. “Approval of genetically modified salmon, the first such hybrid to be considered for human consumption, is unprecedented, risky and a threat to the survival of wild species.”