Council of Canadians health care campaigner Adrienne Silnicki joined Broderick at the public forum yesterday evening.
The St. John’s Telegram reports this morning, “Join a public forum on genetically modified Atlantic salmon, with Eric Hoffman of Friends of the Earth U.S., Jaydee Hanson, senior policy analyst with Center for Food Safety, Washington, Leo Broderick, vice-chairman, Council of Canadians, P.E.I. and Lucy Sharratt, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network co-ordinator, on Oct. 27 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m at The Lantern, 35 Barnes Rd.”
Yesterday, the VOCM in Newfoundland reported, “The Council of Canadians is going to hold a public meeting in St. John’s Thursday night on what some may call ‘frankenfish’. It’s what a person with the council calls the first genetically modified food animal, and they’re concerned is that it will be introduced into the environment. Ken called VOCM Open Line with Randy Simms to talk about the fish, which would be a genetically modified Atlantic salmon. Ken says a small US company, AquaBounty, wants to produce genetically modified salmon eggs on PEI to grow-out in Panama with an eel-like fish, and then sell the finished product in the United States. He suspects that it would eventually be sold in Canada. Ken, who is with the Council of Canadians St.John’s branch, says Thursday night’s meeting takes place at the Lantern at 7:00.”
Last night, Broderick spoke in Halifax to a standing room only audience at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.
The tour is taking place because the White House recently confirmed that the US Food and Drug Administration has finished an environmental assessment of the genetically modified fast-growing Atlantic salmon called AquaAdvantage. The assessment is expected to be released to the US public soon for a 30-day comment period. If the FDA approves the GM Atlantic salmon for human consumption, it will do so based on the company’s specific plan to produce the GM fish eggs in PEI. Environment Canada has remained silent on the risks and any review they might be conducting. Internal records obtained by Postmedia News say that Environment Canada isn’t sure it can fully protect wild fish stocks if it approves the commercialization of the hatchery for genetically engineered salmon eggs.
