Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Europe scorns "supersalmon" as GM battle widens

European salmon farmers and breeders who dominate global sales have a wary eye on transgenic American superfish that grow fast and might gulp part of the US$107 billion (UK£64.872 billion)-a-year aquaculture business. "We don't have any monster pigs in Europe, or monster cows, and there's no need for such a salmon," said Geir Isaksen, the chief executive at big Norwegian fish farmer Cermaq.

Genetically modified (GM) Atlantic salmon patented by US biotech firm AquaBounty are widely billed as growing at double speed and could be approved by US regulators as early as this summer, taking the global GM food fight to the fish counter.

"This is a safe and stable construct," AquaBounty CEO Ronald Stotish told Reuters, explaining how technicians inject Atlantic salmon eggs with genes from Pacific Chinook and bottom-dwelling ocean pout. The result three species in one, thus transgenic would be the first GM animal approved for human consumption, joining GM plants like soy and corn that have been altered to tolerate harsh herbicides. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers
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