SEATTLE — A Native American tribe in Washington state has joined a lawsuit challenging the federal government’s approval of an Atlantic salmon genetically modified to grow faster.
The Quinault Indian Nation on Friday joined the lawsuit that 11 other fishing and environmental groups filed against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and others in late March.
The lawsuit alleges the FDA didn’t fully analyze potential environmental effects before approving the faster-growing salmon for human consumption in November.
The tribe says it is worried the genetically modified salmon can escape and harm wild salmon runs, despite assurances from the company, AquaBounty Technologies.
“Although there are obvious risks to our salmon, the Food and Drug Administration surged forward with its approval,” tribal chairwoman Fawn Sharp said in a statement. Other plaintiffs include the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, Center for Biological Diversity, Food and Water Watch and Center for Food Safety.
The FDA said Tuesday it does not comment on pending litigation.
Dave Conley, a spokesman with AquaBounty, said in an email: “We don’t comment on pending legal issues, but believe FDA’s decision will be upheld.”
In May, Canadian regulators approved the AquAdvantage salmon “as safe and nutritious for humans and livestock as conventional salmon.”
This month, the Massachusetts-based company announced it had acquired a second facility on Prince Edward Island in eastern Canada where it would raise conventional Atlantic salmon to provide eggs that would be transferred to its existing facility. The company plans to ship those eggs to Panama, where they will grow in land-based tanks and be processed into filets and shipped to the U.S. for sale. The FDA says no live fish are permitted to be imported or marketed in the U.S.
“This is the first step in a much larger business plan to expand this product and this biotechnology to a bunch of other places,” said Steve Mashuda with Earthjustice in Seattle, one of the attorneys representing the groups. “They (the FDA) say we should look at that later. We’re saying now is the time to look at that.”
Mashuda said that the FDA’s review did not analyze the full impacts of what would happen if the genetically modified salmon did escape. He also said the groups want a more thorough review not only of what has been approved but the company’s expansion plans as well.
The company says on its website that it plans to raise the salmon in land-based containers away from the ocean to eliminate the risks of escapes. It also says fish grown from the genetically engineered eggs are all female and sterile so they can’t interbreed.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Join us for community fun at the San Mateo Senior Showcase at the San Mateo Senior Center lo… Read moreSan Mateo Senior Showcase
Our Lady of Angels school presents Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr! Read moreOur Lady of Angels School Presents Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Join us for an evening of piano artistry with Sofya Gulyak 🎹, presented by Gradus ad Parnas… Read moreSofya Gulyak piano recital
Mike Caggiano said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.