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GM Foray into the Animal Kingdom: Salmon at Stake In August 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it is considering the approval of a genetically modified salmon, which would make it the first GM animal in the world to be approved for human consumption. The corporation AquaBounty Technologies has engineered AquAdvantage® fish to grow nearly twice as quickly as wild salmon, using genetic material from chinook salmon, ocean pout and Atlantic salmon to GM Foray into the Animal Kingdom: Salmon at Stake years of cultivation of GM crops, there has been an In August 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration increase of 173 million kilograms (383 million pounds) (FDA) announced that it is considering the approval of a _ of pesticides applied in the US.'” genetically modified salmon, which would make it the Increased herbicide use is also evident from the 46 per first GM animal in the world to be approved for human cent increase in the sales of Monsanto's glyphosate- consumption. based herbicide Roundup in 2007 and 2008; Roundup is The corporation AquaBounty Technologies has marketed to be used along with its Roundup Ready (RR) engineered AquAdvantage® fish to grow nearly twice as _crops.'* Herbicide sprays are the norm with GM crops, quickly as wild salmon, using genetic material from and over 90 per cent of GM soy crops in the US are chinook salmon, ocean pout and Atlantic salmon to erbicide tolerant.'” create it. Farmers across the US are reeling under the impact of Approval of GM salmon could have serious he "superweeds" epidemic, which has been caused by biodiversity implications, adverse socio-economic he continual use of glyphosate in tandem with impacts on fishing communities and health risks for — glyphosate-tolerant crops, which has caused the weeds consumers in the US and around the world. Research © develop resistance to the herbicide. A weed science shows that gene spread could lead to the collapse of the expert, who addressed the US House Oversight entire species.” Wild Atlantic salmon is already listed | committee in July 2010, has asserted that superweeds as an endangered species,” partly due to genetic and __ infest over 4.5 million hectares—a five-fold increase in fitness disabilities caused by inbreeding with escaped hree years.'"® Congressional Oversight hearings on the farmed salmon. growth of superweeds provide damning testimony from A recent research poll, commissioned by Food & armers and scientific experts on the adverse effects of Water Watch, found that 91 per GM technology.''' Farmers are cent of Americans believe that being locked into a vicious the FDA should not allow Research from the US circle of dependency on genetically modified fish and . . pesticides that can cause birth meat into the marketplace.'” provides evidence to and reproductive defects, water and soil contamination.'” Enviropig: GM Pork on the Expose the falsehood that As a result, even newer GM Plate? GM crops reduce pesticide crops are set to be approved, Researchers at the University . . which resist other dangerous of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, usage and bring benefits herbicides that cause cancer with support from private to farmers. and other serious illnesses and investor Ontario Pork, the were set to be phased out.'” Government of Ontario and the Dow's soybean (DAS684164) Government of Canada, have contains genes tolerant for 2,4- developed an “enviropig"' that is genetically D, part of Agent Orange, which was used as a defoliant engineered to contain less phosphorus in its faeces.'” in the Vietnam War and is strongly linked to increased These GM Yorkshire pigs apparently digest plant incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.' phosphorus more efficiently than do conventional pigs, which results in phosphorus-depleted manure that | WikiLeaks Exposes US Arm-twisting on GMOs causes less pollution to water and aquatic life. This was Although only a fraction of the 250,000-plus US achieved by inserting genes from mice and E. coli diplomatic cables that WikiLeaks holds has so far been bacteria into the pigs’ DNA.” released, evidence is already emerging about the US In 2007, its creators submitted the "enviropig" to the © government striking alliances with or aggressively FDA for regulatory approval for human food — applying pressure to countries it wants to adopt GMO consumption and subsequent commercialisation in the technologies, to promote the expansion of the United States. Likewise, in 2009, a submission for — technology and the spread of GM products around the commercialisation was made to the Canadian regulatory world. agencies.“ Neither of these regulators has approved it In April 2009, Spanish Secretary of State and Deputy so far. Worryingly, there are no regulations for GM Minister Josep Puxeu contacted the US Chargé d'Affaires animals in Canada, and the processes for application to express his concern about the fact that Spain is under and evaluation are kept secret. increasing pressure to ban MON810 cultivation in the wala Af ELA Oaeewan han an ON wn: and aAbaAwt an Prt create it. Approval of GM salmon could have serious biodiversity implications, adverse socio-economic impacts on fishing communities and health risks for consumers in the US and around the world. Research shows that gene spread could lead to the collapse of the entire species.” Wild Atlantic salmon is already listed as an endangered species,” partly due to genetic and fitness disabilities caused by inbreeding with escaped farmed salmon. expose the falsehood that GM crops reduce pesticide usage and bring benefits to farmers. WikiLeaks Exposes US Arm-twisting on GMOs Although only a fraction of the 250,000-plus US diplomatic cables that WikiLeaks holds has so far been released, evidence is already emerging about the US government striking alliances with or aggressively applying pressure to countries it wants to adopt GMO technologies, to promote the expansion of the technology and the spread of GM products around the world In April 2009, Spanish Secretary of State and Deputy Minister Josep Puxeu contacted the US Chargé d' Affaires to express his concern about the fact that Spain is under increasing pressure to ban MON810 cultivation in the wake of the German ban on GM maize, and about an EU vote urging the maintenance of existing bans in Austria and Hungary. Due to fears of Spain's increasing isolation over its pro-GM policies, the US was urged to step up pressure on Brussels, in collaboration with Pesticides for Profits Research from the United States provides evidence to expose the falsehood that GM crops reduce pesticide usage and bring benefits to farmers. During the first 13 APRIL - MAY 2011 NEXUS ¢ 23 Research from the US provides evidence to www.nexusmagazine.com