1.Obama administration 'bailed out' GM salmon firm
2.Alaska's Senators Turn Up the Heat on GM Salmon
3.Islanders Hold the Future of Wild Atlantic Salmon in their Hands
4.Is the company behind GM salmon the next Solyndra?
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1.Obama administration 'bailed out' GM salmon firm
Suzanne Goldenberg, US environment correspondent
The Guardian, 18 October 2011 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/18/gm-salmon-aquabounty

*Campaigners say $500,000 grant was made to AquaBounty despite evidence that the firm could soon run out of cash

The Obama administration awarded a coveted research grant to a financially strapped company working to put genetically modified (GM) salmon on American dinner tables, overlooking disclosures that the firm could run out of cash in early 2012, it has emerged.

Campaigners say the $500,000 grant to AquaBounty amounts to a bail-out for the firm's main investor, the business tycoon and former economics minister of Georgia, Kakha Bendukidze. They are also comparing it to the Solyndra controversy, which saw a solar company go bankrupt after receiving government loan guarantees.

"Certainly this does have shades of Solyndra. We have seen this company's stock plummeting for months and months years actually and what does the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) do but give this company money?", said Colin O'Neil, a policy analyst at the Centre for Food Safety, which opposes GM salmon.

"This is research that any public university or independent institution could be doing, so why is the USDA funding this interested company to do it?" he said.

The grant, awarded last month, comes at a critical juncture for AquaBounty.

After $67m and 16 years' waiting, the Food and Drug Administration could pronounce GM salmon fit for human consumption within weeks, the company's chief executive, Ronald Stotish, said.

"Based on what we are seeing we believe we will have an approval by end of this year but we plan for all contingencies," he said.

He said the company had prospective fish farmers lined up for the GM salmon in South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Ohio. "We have people in the United States who are interested in growing these fish right now."

If approved, the salmon would be the first modified animal to make its way into the food chain, clearing the way for an entire menagerie of redesigns, from fast-growing trout and tilapia to the "enviro-pig", genetically altered to produce less polluting poo.

The USDA said it had followed the proper procedures in making the grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) including a review of AquaBounty's financial information.

"On this particular grant, our procedures did call for the company to submit two years of financial information, including annual reports, tax forms, and other miscellaneous information. AquaBounty has provided this information for the grant they were awarded this year and are in compliance with all NIFA requirements for funding," the USDA spokeswoman wrote in an email.

She said NIFA reviewed 58 biotech research proposals before announcing the grants to AquaBounty and other companies.

GM salmon, originally devised by researchers at Newfoundland's Memorial University, combine a growth hormone gene from the Chinook salmon, the largest variety in the Pacific, with a strip of DNA from the ocean pout, an eel-like animal that lives in extremely cold water.

Normally, the gene ensures the pout does not freeze to death. In the case of GM salmon, it ensures the growth hormone gene is switched on continuously for a non-stop growth spurt. The GM salmon grow up to six times as fast as the conventional variety.

The company plans to grow the modified salmon eggs at a lab in Prince Edward Island, and then fly them to Panama where they will be raised an inland fish farms. They would then be shipped back for sale in the US.

The use of inland fish farms is designed to prevent the salmon for escaping into the wild. The company says 98% of the fish are sterile.

However, the Canadian government has admitted it can not fully protect wild fish stocks in Canada from GM salmon, according to documents this week obtained by the Vancouver Sun. And in Alaska, senators introduced bills on Monday to ban the sale and shipment in the US of GM salmon, citing risks to salmon in the wild.

The grant to AquaBounty, though just a fraction of the $500m loan guarantee to the bankrupt solar company, comes at a time when the Obama administration is on the defensive when it comes to its handling of energy and environmental projects.

Emails released by the White House suggest that Obama fundraisers influenced the decision to fund Solyndra.

Another set of emails obtained by environmental organisations suggest the State Department had an overly friendly relationship with lobbyists for the Keystone XL project, intended to pipe crude from the Alberta tar sands to Texas.

In the case of AquaBounty, campaigners argue there is a conflict of interest in funding research on GM animals by companies designing those animals.

As with other biotech companies, government grants have been crucial for AquaBounty's survival. Over the years, it has received some $3m from the US government and some $6m in funds from Canadian government.

"My sense is that they have been waiting years and years for something they could actually sell," said Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food and Water Watch which opposes GM salmon.

Stotish acknowledged the importance of government support. "It is true that we don't have unlimited funds," he said. "We are a small company so these grants are important to us."

The company's interim financial report, issued on 23 September, just five days before the grant announcement, records a net operating loss of $2.8m for the first six months of this year, $500,000 more than the previous year. "Current balances are sufficient to take the company into Q2 2012," the report says.

It adds: "The board is conscious however that the company's cash resources will need to be supplemented early in 2012."

The company's last round of fundraising in late 2010 saw Bendukidze take about 48% ownership with an investment of about $5m made through his investment firm Linnaeus Capital. The next largest owner is the Chilean investor, Alejandro Weinstein.

Stotish said the firm was looking to raise money again to take it beyond the first quarter of 2012. Even if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does sign off on AquaBounty, the company will still have to wait for approvals from the Canadian government to grow the fish eggs on a commercial basis, and from the Panamanian government.

There are no guarantees the FDA will approve GM salmon in the immediate future. A year ago, AquaBounty thought it was finally entering the end game after the FDA said the fish was safe for human consumption and did not pose a threat to the environment but then the process unaccountably stalled.

"They are still not in the home stretch even if there is FDA approval," O'Neil said.
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2.Alaska's Senators Turn Up the Heat on GE Salmon
Food and Water Europe, 20 October 2011    

Brussels With AquaBounty's AquaAdvantage genetically engineered (GE) salmon now under review by the White House and one step closer to approval, Alaska's senatorsconcerned about the possible impacts the approval would have on their state’s wild salmon stocksare taking actions to try to block the experimental organism. One of the actions would block the salmon’s approval, while the other would effectively stop its commercialization should the fish be approved.

Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) yesterday filed a bill that would make it illegal to ship, transport, sell, or purchase GE salmon in interstate or foreign commerce. Meanwhile, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) offered an amendment to the 2012 Agriculture Appropriations bill that would prohibit the Food and Drug Administration from using funding to approve the applicationa move that builds upon the similar Young-Woolsey amendment in the House, and would essentially block the approval process.

"We applaud Alaska's Senators for stepping up to the plate to protect our nation’s natural resources while preserving jobs for their constituents," said Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Europe. 

"Once again the FDA is looking out for the interests of the biotech industry over consumers and the environment. We hope other members of Congress resist the biotech industry's lobbying and tell the FDA to do its job, not approve unwanted or untested science experiments."

Begich’s bill, the Prevention of Escapement of Genetically Altered Salmon in the United States (PEGASUS) Act, would effectively ban the interstate commerce of all future genetically engineered marine fish. It would also make it illegal to possess such fish with the intent of shipping, transporting or selling it, and violations would be enforced and subject to penalties under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

"The damaging impacts of other invasive species released into the environment are well known," said Begich, who is also Chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and the Coast Guard, in a statement released yesterday. 

"While the manufacturer maintains its fish will be raised in closed rearing facilities, opportunities for escape exist through water circulation, handling accidents or unauthorized releases. Proponents publicly discussed opportunities for marketing GE salmon live during a Congressional staff briefing this year. While proponents maintain the fish will not be able to interbreed with wild stocks, it is reported a small fraction will not be sterile. Unintended genetic contamination from GE crops is well documented; it's not reasonable to think it can't happen here."

Senator Murkowski, who also co-sponsored PEGASUS, is Chair of the Oceans Caucus and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. "The Frankenfish issue still has far more questions than answers, starting with the FDA's process for approving an animal product intended for human consumption is considered by some to be insufficient," she said in a statement yesterday. "The tests have come under attack from scientific groups, including the FDA's own Veterinary Medical Advisory Committee."

"There is just too much at risk here," continued Begich in the statement. "The public has expressed serious concerns about the introduction of Frankenfish into the nation’s food supply including potential threats to the environment and public health, and economic impacts on producers of sustainable wild salmon. There are concerns about the transparency of the FDA's review process and whether the consumer's 'right to know’ is being ignored. Some, frankly, just aren't comfortable with the idea the government thinks it can improve on nature by genetically altering Alaska wild salmon."

Food & Water Europe works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainable. So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink, we help people take charge of where their food comes from, keep clean, affordable, public tap water flowing freely to our homes, protect the environmental quality of oceans, force government to do its job protecting citizens, and educate about the importance of keeping shared resources under public control.

Contact: Eve Mitchell +44 (0)1381 610 740, emitchell(at)fweurope.org 
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3.Islanders Hold the Future of Wild Atlantic Salmon in their Hands
http://www.cban.ca/Press/Press-Releases/Islanders-Hold-the-Future-of-Wild-Atlantic-Salmon-in-their-Hands

U.S and Canadian panel to present on the risks of genetically modified fish in Charlottetown

Charlottetown, October 19, 2011 – On Monday night October 24th, at The Charlottetown Rodd Hotel, U.S. and Canadian campaigners will speak about the stakes at hand with the introduction of genetically modified (GM, also called genetically engineered) Atlantic salmon in Canada and the U.S., and PEI’s central role as the proposed global supplier of GM salmon eggs.

Charlottetown, October 19, 2011 – On Monday night October 24th, at The Charlottetown Rodd Hotel, U.S. and Canadian campaigners will speak about the stakes at hand with the introduction of genetically modified (GM, also called genetically engineered) Atlantic salmon in Canada and the U.S., and PEI’s central role as the proposed global supplier of GM salmon eggs.

“PEI is at the centre of the global controversy over GM fish. The stakes are extremely high. Islanders hold the future of wild Atlantic salmon in their hands,” said Lucy Sharratt of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network who will be part of the Monday night panel, “PEI residents could protect global fisheries by taking action to stop the genetically modified Atlantic salmon.”

The Charlottetown event will also include Eric Hoffman, Biotechnology Policy Campaigner at Friends of the Earth U.S. in Washington DC and Jaydee Hanson, Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Food Safety, also from Washington DC. Leo Broderick, Vice Chair of Council of Canadians and a PEI resident will also join the panel.

“If PEI becomes the global supplier of genetically modified salmon eggs we could be the origin of the end of Atlantic salmon,” said Leo Broderick, “This forum is a unique opportunity to get more information about this urgent issue and to hear from the U.S., where the salmon could be approved in as little as a few months.”

The small U.S. company AquaBounty has a research facility in PEI and U.S. documents revealed their plan to produce GM Atlantic salmon eggs in PEI, ship them to Panama for grow out and processing, and sell them into the U.S. consumer market. After 10 years, the U.S. government appears close to approving the salmon for human consumption.

“Fish escapes happen and we know the consequences can be devastating to native wild salmon populations. If we open this door to genetically engineered fish, we cannot close it,” said Eric Hoffman of Friends of the Earth U.S., “We cannot regulate how and where these fish will be grown in other countries. If we allow GM fish production, we will strike yet another blow against our severely endangered wild fisheries.”

“The U.S. process for reviewing the GM fish is deeply flawed,” said Jaydee Hanson, “We are very troubled that the company’s data is of such poor quality and actually points to a number of health problems. After more than 15 years, the company has produced surprisingly weak science.”

“We ask the people of PEI to join us in taking a stand against this GM fish that could threaten North American and global fisheries, and our food supply,” said Hoffman.
“We are really looking forward to learning more about PEI and hearing from Islanders on this issue,” said Hanson.

The Monday October 24th forum called “Genetically Modified Atlantic Salmon: PEI is at the centre of the global controversy over GM fish” will start at 7:00 PM at The Rodd Charlottetown Hotel. Other panel events will be held in Fredericton (October 25), Halifax (October 26), and St. John’s (October 27).

For more information: Lucy Sharratt, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, 613 241 2267 ext. 25, cell 613 263 9511; Eric Hoffman, Friends of the Earth U.S., 202 222 0747 or cell 443 465 2219, Jaydee Hanson cell 703 231 5956 www.cban.ca/events and www.cban.ca/fish
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4.Is the company behind GMO salmon the next Solyndra?
Tom Laskawy
Grist, 18 Oct 2011
http://www.grist.org/food/2011-10-18-is-the-company-behind-ge-salmon-the-next-solyndra

Aqua BountyIs the company making genetically modified salmon about to become the next Solyndra? According to the U.K.'s Guardian, it's very possible. In the wake of the USDA's announcement of a $500,000 grant to AquaBounty, the developer of Atlantic salmon that have been modified to grow faster on less feed, advocates at the Center for Food Safety, a consumer group opposed to FDA approval, dug deeper into the company's latest financial statement.

Grist noted late last month that the company had a net loss of $2.8 million. Now it's also clear that the company faces a fairly serious cash crunch. After spending 16 years and $67 million developing the fish, AquaBounty may run out of money by the middle of next year.

It's true that the FDA may be only weeks away from announcing its approval, but the salmon (which has been branded with the name AquAdvantage) has a long way to go until it gets out of the lab. After all, the system for growing the fish is complex, land-based, and intentionally avoids U.S. sites for operations (the fish eggs will supposedly be grown in Canada and the fish themselves in Panama – but the Guardian reports neither country has given approval).

As The Center for Food Safety's Colin O'Neill told the Guardian, "They are still not in the home stretch even if there is FDA approval."

The Guardian's coverage also focused on government shenanigans, and asks: Did the USDA follow proper procedures in approving the loan? (The agency claims it did.) Still, there's no question that the USDA is trying to throw AquAdvantage a lifeline – and it's unlikely to have done so without a fairly strong belief that FDA approval isn't far off. And of course, one could argue that AquaBounty has shown a repeated ability to raise money and now, so close to its goal, it's likely to find investors willing to help them out.

Solyndra had to face down the issue of competing solar technology leap-frogging the product the company had put time and money into developing (as Grist has explained). AquBounty (thankfully) has no real competition, so it should surprise no one that the biotech-friendly USDA is going all in.

Another difference from the Solyndra fracas: I seriously doubt that Republicans will leap up and begin a loud and sustained media campaign to end government subsidies for the biotech industry as they did for solar. Indeed, the real issue seems to be that AquaBounty has raised its pant leg to display an Achilles Heel: the company's dwindling bank account. On top of all this, GMO food labeling is becoming a household issue. More than one dedicated advocacy group has recently arisen to fight back, and general concern about GMO food hasn't been so present in the mainstream media since the Great Genetically Modified French Fry Debacle of 2000. All this might give pause to new investors in such technology.

AquaBounty's balance sheet is a tempting target for advocates looking to aim their rhetorical arrows. The more delays and roadblocks that get thrown up against government approvals – whether here, in Canada, or in Panama – the less likely it becomes that GMO salmon will ever see the light of day. And while that would be a shame for the workers at AquaBounty, the rest of us (not to mention the remaining stocks of wild salmon) would be far better off without it.

A 17-year veteran of both traditional and online media, Tom is a Contributing Writer at Grist covering food and agricultural policy. Tom's long and winding road to food politics writing passed through New York, Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, Florence, Italy and Philadelphia (which has a vibrant progressive food politics and sustainable agriculture scene, thank you very much). In addition to Grist, his writing has appeared online in the American Prospect, Slate, the New York Times and The New Republic. He is on record as believing that wrecking the planet is a bad idea.