The leader of the P.E.I. Green party says he is concerned about the “regulatory acrobatics” that led to the approval of a GM salmon facility in Prince Edward Island
EXCERPT: Many were surprised by the application, as the company originally said its plans would only involve producing the salmon eggs in P.E.I. and then shipping them to Panama to grow to full size. They were to be processed into fillets in Panama and then sent back to Canada for sale. Green Leader Peter Bevan-Baker says the fact this change in plans did not require a whole new environmental assessment is a case of “regulatory acrobatics”.
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Regulatory acrobatics helps GM fish facility, P.E.I. Greens accuse
Teresa Wright
The Guardian (Prince Edward Island, Canada), 7 Jul 2017
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/2017/7/7/regulatory-acrobatics-helps-gm-fish-facility--p-e-i--greens-accu.html
* Peter Bevan-Baker adds his concern about GM salmon facility on P.E.I. [Prince Edward Island, Canada]
The leader of the P.E.I. Green party says he is concerned about the “regulatory acrobatics” that has led to the approval of a controversial facility that plans to grow genetically modified salmon in Prince Edward Island.
Last month, the provincial government approved an application by AquaBounty Canada Inc. to expand its current facility in Rollo Bay by building two 40,000-square foot structures where the company will rear AquaAdvantage salmon, a sterile genetically modified salmon, from eyed egg to market size.
Many were surprised by the application, as the company originally said its plans would only involve producing the salmon eggs in P.E.I. and then shipping them to Panama to grow to full size. They were to be processed into fillets in Panama and then sent back to Canada for sale.
Green Leader Peter Bevan-Baker says the fact this change in plans did not require a whole new environmental assessment is a case of “regulatory acrobatics”.
“There’s lots of levels in which this is problematic for me, but I think first and foremost it’s the regulatory dance that’s being played here. It just doesn’t sit well with me and, instinctively, I don’t feel good about that,” he said.
Bevan-Baker says he is also concerned about the amount of taxpayer money that has been handed to the company.
The province recently provided AquaBounty with a $14,000 grant for its grow-out facility.
A spokesman for the economic development department said the money was to assist the company with the requirements of its environmental assessment.
“It is not uncommon for IPEI (Innovation P.E.I.) to provide grant assistance to companies working their way through expansion projects of this nature,” the spokesman wrote in an email to The Guardian.
Since 2002, the province has provided $818,000 in non-repayable support to AquaBounty, including grants and labour incentives.
In July 2016, Island Investment Development Inc. (IIDI) also approved a provincial loan to the company of $717,000.
AquaBounty has also received money from the federal government.
In 2010, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) provided AquaBounty Canada Inc. and Aqua Bounty Technologies Inc. with a conditionally repayable contribution of $2.87 million. ACOA also gave the company an unconditionally repayable contribution of $337,000 in April 2016 to develop its hatchery.