GM salmon opponents herald end of large-scale production of adult fish on P.E.I.
A company that pioneered genetically modified salmon in Canada has stopped production at its Prince Edward Island facility of adult fish for sale, prompting celebrations from industry critics.
AquaBounty said in a release today that with most of its production now focused on the United States market, it will instead use its P.E.I. facility to produce eggs and broodstock -- adult fish used for breeding.
The U.S.-based company says it will expand production in P.E.I. of conventional salmon eggs to be sold into the North American market, adding that it will still produce transgenic eggs on the Island for its facility in Indiana.
Sharon Labchuk, a spokeswoman for the GMO Free P.E.I. coalition, calls the news a "victory," as various group have vigorously petitioned grocers not to sell the genetically modified fish.
In 2021, conservation charity Nature Canada and Quebec-based Vigilance OGM launched a campaign offering a $500 reward for any information about the first salmon sold from the facility in Rollo Bay, P.E.I.
Nature Canada spokesman Mark Butler says he is pleased by the announcement, saying it reduces one of the many threats to endangered, wild Atlantic salmon in Atlantic Canada and New England.
Conservation groups have been critical of Ottawa for not requiring the company to label the salmon as genetically modified, arguing that the fish or eggs may one day escape during transport and pose risks to unmodified salmon stocks.
However, the company says in its release that transgenic salmon eggs produced for its farms in the United States are female and sterile, adding that there are multiple physical barriers to prevent escape.
"In addition, rigorous testing is done to ensure non-transgenic eggs are produced and verified separately," the company said.
The Rollo Bay facility was completed in 2019 and received financing from the P.E.I. government, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the federal Fisheries Department. The company said in 2021 that it had been selling the fish grown at the Island facility.
Mary Boyd of the MacKillop Centre for Social Justice in P.E.I. says the provincial and federal governments shouldn't have subsidized the company, calling that decision a "risky use of taxpayers' money."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.