Tracking Food Disclosures

"[It's likely AquaBounty] production will be ramped up in Canada."
"It's a huge advantage for AquaBounty to be allowed to produce this salmon in Canada."
Sylvain Charlebois, director, agri-food analytics, Dalhousie University

"Will there be a disruption in the ... entire salmon market? We hope not. But I will say if that's a possibility, then the response will be: somebody has to label."
"We are reviewing it. We recognize the United States is moving forward with mandatory labelling, as is the European Union."
"Does it make sense from a trade perspective to align more closely with our major trading partners?"
"Who bears the burden of that transparency? I don't think it should be our producers because we're not the ones putting the new product into the market."
Tim Kennedy, executive director, Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance

The salmon are engineered to grow much faster. Both these salmon are the same age. (AquaBounty)

"We take biosecurity and sustainability seriously, and our state-of-the-art recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) design includes multiple and redundant physical barriers to escape."
"With this final regulatory approval now obtained, we anticipate hiring more people from the community on Prince Edward Island to ramp up commercial production."
AquaBounty CEO Sylvia Wulf

"More GM salmon means more risk to wild Atlantic salmon. That is the science."
"This decision is the first step in a dangerous expansion of GM fish production. We need a national consultation on improving regulation before new GM animals are approved."
Mark Butler, spokesman, Ecology Action Centre, Nova Scotia

"The lack of genetically modified food labelling is just the most obvious transparency issue undermining public trust."
"Canadians are also asking for more transparent regulation of genetically modified organisms and opportunities for public engagement."
Lucy Sharratt, co-ordinator, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network

AquaBounty is prepared to begin stocking its Rollo Bay facility off the waters of P.E.I. "as soon as possible". The company, based in Maynard, Massachusetts, has genetically modified salmon for the singular purpose of having the fish reach adult size faster, by inserting DNA from Chinook salmon to create a more affordable product, taking less time to come to maturity, enabling the company to put the new genetically altered fish on the market with its initial AquAdvantage harvested salmon.

What the producers of non-GM-fish-farmed salmon are concerned about is differentiating their product from the GM-modified product in light of the fact that Canada's federal Health Department feels there is no need to impose mandatory labelling to identify genetically modified fish. Consumers, as far as the department is concerned, need not concern themselves over the presence of GM-altered fish on supermarket shelves.

Environment Canada having given its certification approval, Canadians can expect to see the GM fish for sale toward the end of 2020. Environmental groups assertively oppose such modified food, arguing the risk to wild Atlantic salmon -- should there be an escape of GM-modified fish. A large unknown, however, is how the availability of such fish on the Canadian market will be met by consumers; taken up with confidence -- or rejected.

As far as the Canadian aquaculture alliance is concerned, its members have no interest whatever in  researching, farming or selling such fish. According to executive director Tim Kennedy, the industry is prepared to consider setting up a label similar to labelling of organic foods, to identify their products as non-genetically-modified.

The Health Department relayed its considered opinion to the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, an opponent of GM salmon, that it would rely on "industry-led initiatives such as voluntary standards"; that "the government of Canada intends to maintain its current approach". This is interpreted by Mr. Kennedy as indifference over where a labelling initiative will find its funding.

AquaBounty is prepared to ship directly to markets, specifically, processors for the GM salmon, to be used in products such as sushi, pies and pates. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has assented to AquaBounty production in Indiana, but it will be required to disclose its GM status. A coalition of consumer, environmental and fishing groups hopes to block the sale of GM fish through a pending lawsuit.

The GM-modified fish opponents take exception to the American labelling system which uses the term "bioengineered", which may throw people off who are not familiar with the phrase which is synonymous with "genetically modified".

This handout photo provided by AquaBounty Technologies shows two same-aged salmon, a genetically modified salmon, rear, and a non-genetically modified salmon, foreground. As trangenic salmon raised in Prince Edward Island are poised for the leap to Canadian grocery shelves, traditional producers are pondering how to set their farmed fish apart.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-AquaBounty Technologies