Hon. Rona Ambrose Hon. Gail Shea
Minister of Health Minister of Fisheries & Oceans
163 East Block 556 Confederation Building
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq Hon. Garry Ritz
Minister of the Environment Minister of Agriculture & Agri-Food
458 Confederation Building 781 Confederation Building
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
January 27, 2014
Dear Ministers,
We are writing to you today to share concerns expressed to us by citizens across Canada regarding the recent Environment Canada approval for the company AquaBounty, based out of Prince Edward Island, to produce commercially viable genetically modified salmon eggs.
Canadians have raised a number of concerns related to the production of genetically modified salmon including the impact of genetic modification on human health, the lack of mandatory labeling requirements for genetically modified (GM) foods, environmental concerns of the possible introduction of GM salmon into the environment, and the lack of public consultations.
AquAdvantage Salmon will potentially be the first GM animal approved for human consumption in the world, yet there is a troubling lack of public information about the potential impacts that genetic modification can have on human health.
Canadians clearly want to know which foods are genetically modified or contain genetically modified components. They should have easy access to the tools necessary to make informed decisions about their health and the food that they purchase for themselves and their families. In fact, Canada is one of only two of forty industrialized countries that does not have mandatory food labeling requirements for genetically modified products.
Current regulations related to GM foods have failed to keep up with the growth of the industry and have allowed the introduction of new and complex genetic modifications without proper environmental, human health, or market assessments. Therefore New Democrats are calling for a review of current regulations and increased studies of the potential impacts genetic modifications can have on the environment, human health and associated industries.
There is also concern that GM salmon may impact wild fish stocks if released into the environment. AquaBounty’s assertion that a risk assessment is not required because the salmon will be grown in closed containment facilities is not good enough. There is always the potential for fish to be accidentally introduced into the environment with potentially dire consequences for native and wild species of fish.
We do not underestimate the importance that this type of agricultural technology can have on the impact of food security issues around the world. We simply want to ensure that there are no adverse impacts from genetic modification on human health and our environment.
We look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
Robert Chisholm, MP Megan Leslie, MP
Dartmouth – Cole Harbour Halifax
NDP Critic for Fisheries & Oceans NDP Critic for the Environment
Libby Davies, MP Murray Rankin
Vancouver East Victoria
NDP Critic for Health NDP Critic for Pensions & National Revenue