Background

Wild salmon are natural marvels capable of making the arduous journey from the ocean back to the exact river of their birth to spawn, or reproduce. This magnificent journey is the source of inspiration that has made salmon a Northwest icon.

Fish that have been bred to grown quickly in a pen are not the same as wild salmon.

Instead of spawning, or reproducing, in the wild, Genetically Engineered salmon, or "Frankenfish," are created in laboratories by injecting foreign material into salmon eggs, altering the way the fish’s growth hormones work. There are over 35 species of fish being genetically engineered, containing genes from other fish, humans, and insects that could never occur naturally in the environment. GE salmon grow at abnormal speeds, from zero to 10 pounds in 14 months -- half the normal time.

Environmental Concerns

Endangered Wild Salmon

GE fish pose a tripple whammy to wild fish. First, they are an invasive, or exotic, species. There is a long history of invasive species decimating native wild species, from the mongoose on Hawaii to rabbits on Australia. Second, GE fish are not only an invasive species, but actually an alien species, since they could not naturally occur in the environment. Therefore, nobody has any idea what kind of devastation these alien species could cause. And third, these fish are already threatened for a number of reasons, ranging from habitat destruction and degradation to overharvesting to hydroelectric dams. The last thing they need is another survival threat to contend with. However, we now need to add the new threat of genetically engineered fish to the list.

Ecological Diversity

Unintended releases of GE fish into the world’s waters could cause significant impacts to the environment and endangered species. New studies have shown that GE fish are more aggressive, eat more food, and will attract more mates than wild fish. In addition, these studies show that although GE fish will attract more mates, their offspring will be less fit and less likely to survive.

Invasive Species Takeovers Seem Unlikely, BUT . . .

Invasive species pose huge threats to the environment. Take, for example, the case of the Rock Dove. This bird was brought to North America and used for domestic purposes. The birds began to escape and reproduce in large numbers. Today, the Rock Dove, or the pigeon, is one of the most common urban birds in North America.

Engineers of GE salmon claim that their fish will be sterile. However, it is impossible to guarantee 100% sterility, so fertile fish are likely. Sterile GE salmon would still compete with wild salmon, ultimately lowering reproductive success.

As a result, scientists predict that GE fish could cause some species to become extinct within only a few generations. Purdue University scientists found that it would take 60 GE fish in a population of 60,000 wild fish to cause species extinction within 40 generations. Once one species goes extinct, other species and the entire ecosystem would be affected. The natural ecosystem acts like a delicate web, where all living things are connected. There are already 114 species of fish, including 26 species of Pacific salmon, that are listed under the Endangered Species Act. Allowing GE fish in ocean pens could significantly increase the number of endangered species.

Because Frankenfish grow at alarming rates, their food requirements are also greatly accelerated. Salmon are large predators, and their increased food intake could lead to ecological disatsters by devastating smaller fish species. Also, GE fish aren’t as good at swimming as wild fish, so they could stick around an area and monopolize the food supply and other resources.

Health Concerns

Lack of Research

No research has been done regarding the potential health risks of GE fish. Changes in the chemical makeup of fish could lead to high levels of toxicity and allergenicity. Genetic engineering of any organism remains experimental, so all of the likely risks remain unknown.

Diseases

Bacterial and aquaculture diseases increase their resistance to antibiotics as a result of genetic engineering. Because GE salmon would be raised in fish farms, where high densities of fish are crammed into small spaces, they could easily spread diseases to other fish and the ecosystem.

Nutritional Value

Fish raised in open net pens have a higher fat content and are lower in Omega 3’s. As a result of swimming endless circles in pens rather than swimming freely in streams and oceans, farmed fish, and therefore GE fish, have 30-70% more fat than wild salmon. They also have almost 15% less Omega 3 fat (the healthy fat) than wild salmon.

Farmed and Dangerous

Farmed fish are a threat to natural ecosystems, wild salmon, and human health. Genetically engineered fish, after being developed in the laboratory, will be raised in fish farms. All of the risks surrounding salmon farms - from excess waste pollution to escaped fish breeding with wild fish - are compounded by the threat of genetically engineered fish.

Farmed fish have turned up in salmon streams, sometimes outnumbering their wild counterparts.

Farmed fish consume vast amounts of food and damage natural ecosystems by producing unnaturally high concentration of wastes, disease, and antibiotics. Escapes from net pens are frequent and impossible to prevent. Approximately 300,000 fish escaped from a single Washington State fish farm in the summer of 1999. Even indoor ponds typically recirculate water into the environment, giving an escape route for fish or eggs.

Fish farms are also a very inefficient use of resources. It takes about four pounds of wild fish, used as feed, to produce one pound of farmed fish.

Current Regulations

The FDA is the only agency currently involved in the potential approval of GE salmon. Although the FDA has regulatory control over human food safety issues, the agency does not have expertise in the review of marine ecosystem impacts that will be caused by the introduction of GE fish into our waters. While no federal laws specifically govern the regulation of genetically engineered animals grown for human consumption, the FDA has made the informal decision to regulate GE fish under its authority to review new animal drugs. Environmental review and safety testing required of other substances, like pesticides, would not be required. Even if the fish are somehow determined to be harmful to the environment, the FDA could still allow them into the marketplace.

Aqua Bounty Farms, a subsidiary of biotechnology corporation A/F Protein, seeks to make Atlantic salmon the first GE animal to make it to the American dinner plate. Aqua Bounty Farms has about 20,000 Atlantic Frankenfish swimming endless circles in tanks in Canada. The Frankeneggs are set to be sold all over the world, once they are approved for commercial use by the FDA.

Just Say NO!

Several actions regarding genetically engineered fish have recently taken place. These include:

Maryland passed precedent-setting legislation in March, 2001 that bans GE fish from Chesapeake Bay, making the area a GE fish-free zone. Other areas are likely to follow suit.

Friends of the Earth, along with a coalition of over 70 petitioners including consumer, environmental and fishing organizations, filed legal petitions in May, 2001 with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other government agencies demanding a moratorium on the domestic marketing and importation of GE fish until the agencies adequately address the impacts to the environment and human food safety.