Tag: fish/seafood
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FDA Decides Not to Decide on Safety of GM Salmon
A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel has reportedly declined to take action or make any recommendations about the safety of genetically modified (GM) salmon at the conclusion of hearings that drew considerable media and public attention. A Massachusetts based company has been trying to bring its AquAvantage® salmon to the market for more…
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Groups Object to Proposed Canadian Organic Aquaculture Standards
A coalition representing more than 40 consumer, environmental and scientific groups has submitted a comment to the Canadian General Standards Board Committee (CGSBC), objecting to several provisions in a proposed Canadian Organic Aquaculture Standard. According to a press release, the joint letter alleges that the draft standard “is contrary to the basic principles of organics…
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FDA Assessment Backs Safety of GE Salmon
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a briefing packet in advance of public meetings to discuss a new animal drug application for genetically engineered (GE) salmon. Produced by AquaBounty Technologies, Inc. (ABT), the AquAdvantage salmon contains genes from Chinook and ocean pout that accelerate maturation. Additional details about the September 19-21, 2010, meetings…
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FDA to Hold Public Consultations for GE Salmon
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced two public meetings to consider the labeling of food derived from genetically engineered (GE) salmon. During the first meeting slated for September 19-20, 2010, the Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee will address general scientific issues surrounding GE animals, statutory and regulatory constraints, and “a new animal drug application…
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NRDC Calls on Federal Agencies to Ramp Up Seafood Safety Testing in Gulf
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and nearly two dozen Gulf Coast organizations have requested that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) “strengthen the current protocols and data relied on to determine whether seafood is safe for consumption and when to re-open areas for fishing” after the massive…
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FDA Commissioner Confident About Safety of Gulf Seafood in Oil Spill Aftermath
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg has released statements to support the reopening of Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi state waters to commercial fishing. According to Hamburg, “we are confident all appropriate steps have been taken to ensure that seafood harvested from waters being opened today is safe and that Gulf seafood lovers everywhere…
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Elizabeth Kolbert, “The Scales Fall: Is there any hope for our overfished oceans?,” The New Yorker, August 2, 2010
In this literature review, The New Yorker’s Elizabeth Kolbert recounts the decline of bluefin tuna and other aquatic species due to overfishing, technological advances and lukewarm governance by authorities like the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). According to Kolbert, the world passed “the point of what might be called ‘peak fish’”…
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Catfish Farmers of America Warn Lawmakers of Import Risks
The Catfish Farmers of America (CFA) has reportedly released a commissioned report that evaluates the human health risks associated with catfish consumption. Presented to lawmakers and backed by Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), the report identifies several major hazards for aquaculture fish, including “pathogenic microorganisms, antimicrobial/drug residues, and environmental chemicals.” In particular, the…