Demand Immediate Disclosure from Environment Canada

Ottawa, Monday, December 6, 2010 – Sixty fisheries and oceans conservation, environmental and social justice groups revealed today that Environment Canada refuses to confirm or deny if the department has already started a secret 120-day risk assessment to approve genetically engineered (GE) salmon egg production on Prince Edward Island. The groups today also released a joint statement of “categorical objection” to the raising of GE fish and fish eggs (1).

Ottawa. Thursday, December 2, 2010 - In a surprise move yesterday evening in the House of Commons, the New Democratic Party secured an extended debate, of up to 5 hours, on the highly controversial Bill C-474 on genetically engineered (GE) crops, currently in third reading.

Monday, November 22, 2010, Charlottetown - Today in a letter PEI groups asked Premier Ghiz to insist that Environment Canada disclose that they have begun an environmental assessment of production of genetically engineered (GE) Atlantic salmon eggs on the Island.

Parliamentary hearings canceled to protect biotechnology corporations

October 28, 2010, Ottawa - Today, House of Commons Agriculture Committee hearings on Private Members Bill C-474 - dealing with the issue of genetic engineering - were canceled and invited witnesses were turned away because, last night, Conservative Members of Parliament voted down a motion to extend debate on the Bill. The motion to extend the debate by 30 days was defeated by just 4 votes.

Press Statement: Groups in the US and Canada urge the FDA to heed yesterday's warnings by scientists regarding the safety of genetically engineered salmon and reject company's request for approval

Yesterday the FDA's Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee finished two days of public hearings in Maryland on the safety of genetically engineered (GE) salmon: "The committee could not avoid pointing to serious problems with the science. The FDA cannot approve the GE salmon after the committee has raised so many questions about its safety," said Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network. Many committee members raised serious concerns about the safety of the GE salmon and questions about the quality of the data used by the FDA to come to its initial conclusion that the GE fish is safe. The FDA will now consider the concerns raised by the committee before making a final decision to approve or reject the GE fish, or call for more studies. The FDA has agreed to a public comment period on an environmental assessment.

Contact: Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, 613 241 2267 ext 6 coordinator@cban.ca

FDA overlooked evidence of allergy potential and accepted deficient data say groups

This afternoon in Maryland at US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hearings to decide on the safety of a genetically engineered (GE) salmon, a veterinary medicine committee will hear damning critiques of the science that was generated by the company AquaBounty and accepted by the FDA as supporting its preliminary conclusion of safety.

PEI representative to attend US hearings on GE fish safety

Bay Fortune, Prince Edward Island, Canada, - Today in Prince Edward Island (PEI) representatives from environmental and health groups held a press conference outside AquaBounty’s Bay Fortune facility to denounce the company’s plans to commercially produce genetically engineered (GE) fish eggs at the location. The company is asking the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve its GE Atlantic salmon for human consumption and says it will soon ask for approval in Canada. AquaBounty recently revealed its plan to produce GE fish eggs exclusively on PEI, then ship the eggs to Panama for growing out and processing to then sell into the US consumer market. The company claims the fish grow twice as fast as other farmed fish.

September 8, 2010. Ottawa, Halifax – Canadian groups are expressing concern that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is rushing the final stages of its process to evaluate the safety of genetically engineered (GE) salmon. According to documents released on Friday by the FDA, the company AquaBounty plans to produce all of its GE salmon eggs in Canada

FDA Considers Approval of GE Salmon--the First GE Food Animal--Yet Fails to
Inform the Public of Environmental and Economic Risks.

Joint Press Statement

Washington, DC August 27, 2010 – A coalition of 31 consumer, animal welfare and environmental groups, along with commercial and recreational fisheries associations and food retailers submitted a joint statement criticizing an announcement this week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it will potentially approve the long-shelved AquAdvantage transgenic salmon as the first genetically engineered (GE) animal intended for human consumption.

Des organisations du Canada appuient le refus du cadeau empoisonné