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FDA extends consideration of disputed ‘Frankenfish’ plan
The Food and Drug Administration is extending public consideration of its finding that genetically engineered salmon are safe to eat and won’t cause environmental harm.
Boston-headquartered biotechnology firm AquaBounty Technologies is seeking FDA approval of its Atlantic salmon eggs, which include a gene that enables them to grow to market size in half the time of a normal salmon.
But opponents, including Alaskan fisheries and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), deride the salmon as “frankenfish” and warn that “Jurassic Park-style” gene splicing involved in the technology belongs in the movies — not on American dinner plates.
FDA has issued a draft environmental assessment concluding that AquaBounty’s fish were identical to traditional salmon and pose no threat to people or the environment. But opponents still question the science, and fear there the salmon could escape their designated fisheries and move into open water, a scenario that they say has untold consequences.
“It could have a harmful effect on the entire fishing industry,” Murkowski spokesman Matthew Felling said, noting that an anti-freeze element is used in the splicing process.
“The Friday before Christmas, the Food and Drug Administration announced they were moving forward with the approval process on Frankenfish by opening the comment period — this at a time when everyone understandably has their mind on the holidays and the Congress is in a transition period,” Murkowski said.
On Wednesday, FDA issued a notice announcing the extension public comment period, citing the calls for additional time. The public now has until April 26 to tell the agency whether they want the chance to eat the genetically engineered fish.
