Not So Fast! FDA Delays ‘Frankenfish’ Decision
TAKE ACTION: Tell the FDA to reject Frankenfish!The FDA did its best to sneak genetically engineered (GE) salmon by us in late December, when it quietly announced a 60-day public comment period. Folks there thought we were all too busy to notice, what with the holidays and all. Not so. An outraged public responded by inundating the agency with thousands of comments. Now, the FDA says, the public comment period will be extended an additional 60 days while officials pore over the comments that have already come in.Meanwhile, Ronald Stotish, the CEO and President of AquaBounty Technology, the company that wants to unleash “Frankenfish” into the environment and onto our plates, says he’s “frustrated” and “not pleased” with the delay. And he’s stickin’ to his story: that GE salmon is “indistinguishable from other Atlantic salmon, safe to eat and doesn’t pose a threat to the environment.” Of course, there’s no real science to back up Stotish’s claim, and plenty of science that says he’s wrong. But there’s more at stake here than just GE salmon. Other biotech companies are keeping an eye on the Frankenfish decision. If AquaBounty gets the green light, how many more GE animals will be on the menu?Haven’t given the FDA a piece of your mind yet? You’ve got 60 more days to sign on.