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Editor's Note: Fishmeal the X factor in GM salmon saga
Fiona Robinson, Associate Publisher/Editor
December 05, 2010
After having been put on the spot several times in the past
few months about where I stand on genetically modified (GM)
salmon, I realized it's not the time to be indecisive. After
careful consideration, I can now say I support the practice,
if for only one reason: less
reliance on fishmeal.
You could debate ad nauseam about whether the practice is
ethical or not. Indeed, that was one of the main questions when
SeaFood Business first wrote about AquaBounty's work (then
working under the name A/F Protein) in 1999. However, if you
carefully read this issue's Top Story, "Super salmon?," Contributing Editor Stuart Hirsch explains both sides of
the transgenic salmon debacle.
While there are many aspects to debate on the topic, the one
point I keep returning to is fishmeal. GM salmon can be raised
in almost half the time than traditional salmon, therefore
greatly reducing the amount of fishmeal necessary. Over the
past decade, the fishmeal industry has investigated alternative
fish feeds to decrease reliance on reduction fisheries such as
anchovies and menhaden, thereby increasing sustainability. Soy,
vegetable oil and algae-based replacements work for some
species. But salmon are carnivores; they cannot be fed solely
plant-based feeds.
With the global aquaculture industry increasing production
by 6.9 percent annually, the pressure on the fishmeal industry
is only going to grow. And with supply and demand forcing
fishmeal prices skyward, producing increasing amounts of farmed
fish with less fishmeal has to be an option on the table to
keep the products affordable.
I urge you to read the Top Story to understand the other
angles and challenges related to transgenic salmon. Many people
have already taken an anti-GMO stance and will likely never
change their minds on the subject. It would be akin to trying
to get a fur trapper to join PETA (People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals) - it's unlikely to happen. But if the
ultimate goal of the seafood industry is to make seafood more
plentiful, affordable to more consumers and traceable from
source to store, then GM salmon raised in a closed-containment
system has to be considered. If AquAdvantage salmon can trim
the amount of fishmeal necessary to raise salmon, then bring on
the super salmon.