A GE Salmon Comes to Market

The transgenic, fast-growing salmon was first developed in 1989.  The goal was simple, use fish genes to remove seasonal growth effects, with the hopes of creating a fish that could grow faster.  Faster growth means fewer resources to produce an equivalent amount or finished food product. This results in greater availability of a sustainable, consistent, high quality source of salmon, a great protein source with oils suggested to have positive roles in health.  However, the road to approval has been long. As the first GE animal, the AquaBounty salmon had navigated a complex regulatory maze, that now has finally allowed it to be produced and marketed in North America.  This episode speaks with Sylvia Wulf, CEO and President of AquaBounty Technologies.  We discuss the product, the regulatory situation, and when the products may be finally available to consumers.