Enviros call on Canada to strengthen our rules after genetically modified aquarium fish escapes into the Brazilian wild

For the first time, the escape and reproduction of a genetically engineered (GM) aquarium fish has been documented by scientists. The GM zebrafish — which is injected with genes from jellyfish to make them fluorescent — escaped in Brazil, but some say the event has heavy implications for Canada.

As one of the first countries to approve the sale of the GloFish (its trademarked name) in the early 2000s, environmentalists argue Canada is complicit in maintaining a market for the fish and, by extension, its escape into Brazilian waters, which has unknown consequences. GloFish are available in pet stores across Canada, and they do not need to be labelled as genetically modified.

Researchers in Brazil say their findings “confirm that escapes from aquaculture facilities are common, and could bring severe consequences for local fish populations, including endemic, rare and threatened species.”

At the same time, another fish is being genetically modified on Canadian soil — AquaBounty, a U.S. company, has been producing genetically engineered Atlantic salmon from egg to maturity in Rollo Bay, P.E.I., since 2019. By incorporating DNA from chinook salmon and ocean pout, an eel-like fish, salmon at the on-land facility grow much faster and to a larger size than their natural counterparts. The fish is for sale in Canada, but the company has not confirmed where it’s being sold. It falls under the same labelling rules as GloFish — nowhere on the packaging does it need to say the salmon are genetically modified.

“AquaBounty genetically engineered (GE) Atlantic salmon, which are all female and sterile, are raised in a secure indoor facility in freshwater, land-based tanks,” said the company in an emailed statement to Canada's National Observer.

“We have multiple and redundant physical containment barriers, and our tanks are contained inside buildings with controlled entry. We have never had an escape in 25+ years of raising our salmon.”

Salmon from the facility undergo triploid treatment, which means they have three chromosomes instead of two, rendering them sterile. Although it makes most of the salmon infertile, up to 1.5 per cent could be fertile, according to DFO’s environmental and human health assessment of AquaBounty salmon.

The company confirmed the 1.5 per cent figure, but said their containment barriers and in land structures ensure fish are kept out of waterways.

"...Because of this approach, and as noted in the Fisheries and Oceans Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Science Advisory Report, published as part of Canada’s regulatory assessment which you cited, the risk of AquaBounty’s fish to the environment remains, and will continue to remain, low," read part of an emailed statement.

Both the GM Atlantic salmon and the GloFish are regulated under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) — legislation that protects environmental and human health by regulating greenhouse gases, toxic substances and other pollutants. It hasn’t been reviewed since the 1990s, and on Feb.9, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault reintroduced a bill to amend the act.

People like Mark Butler, a senior adviser with Nature Canada, say the act needs more stringent rules around genetically modified animals, and notes the bill currently doesn’t offer much on transparency and public engagement, nature protection or Indigenous rights.

Butler emphasizes AquaBounty has better protections in place to prevent escapes than the Brazilian facility the GloFish escaped from. The P.E.I. facility has inland pens; on its site, it says: “The waters our Atlantic salmon swim in never come in contact with harmful diseases and toxins that can be a concern with traditional sea-cage farms and net pens. When we say our Atlantic salmon is a safe choice, we mean it.”

However, because it’s such early days for GM fish, his concerns lie with the possibility of the industry expanding.

“AquaBounty might say, or the government might say, ‘Sounds like very poor biosecurity protocols in place in Brazil ... here in Canada, it’s much better.’ And I would agree — much better,” he said.

“But at the same time, tell me in 20 years — and there are 10 sites growing this fish and all that activity — that you could guarantee that these fish won't escape. I just think sooner or later, it's going to happen.”

When Butler thinks about how salmon might escape, he points to fish and fish eggs being transported, as well as GM and non-GM salmon currently being grown in the same facility — which is taking place at AquaBounty. Human error is possible, he said, and notes it has happened with GM pigs in Canada. Three experimental GM pigs were accidentally turned into animal feed in 2004 and the same thing happened at the University of Guelph in 2002 with 11 piglets — the vice-president of research at Guelph told the Globe and Mail after the event: “Things you don’t expect to happen can happen.”

AquaBounty is currently expanding its operations in North America — which puts endangered wild Atlantic salmon populations at risk, said Butler.

Lucy Sharratt, co-ordinator with the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, said the government processes to approve GM products, such as the AquaBounty salmon, happen behind closed doors.

“We had asked government departments if they were assessing this GM salmon for approval and we were told that that is confidential business information, so even the fact that our government was looking at an application to approve a GM fish was kept confidential,” she said.

“And so there's really no role that's provided for the public in decision-making about the use of genetic engineering, which we could say is one of the reasons why we have a genetically modified salmon on the market without labelling.”

Canada’s National Observer reached out to Health Canada, which regulates GM animals along with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

“The Guidelines for the Safety Assessment of Novel Foods in Canada provide for both the rigour and the flexibility required to determine the need for notification and to conduct the safety assessment of the broad range of food products being developed,” Health Canada said in an emailed statement.

“This flexibility is needed to allow novel foods and food products to be assessed on a case-by-case basis and to take into consideration future scientific advances.”

Sharratt, Butler and others are calling on the government to halt further approvals of GM animals until regulations are strengthened.

There are public comment periods, such as the one now underway for another species of GloFish, but Sharratt said they’re not nearly thorough enough and leave out vital players, such as fishers and Indigenous nations.

“Canadians were never asked if we wanted a genetically modified fish, and are not even given the choice in the market to choose. So, in fact, decisions are being made for Canadians without information provided to the public, very basic information, about these products,” she said.

“We have the increasing use of genetic engineering in our lives with no information about where it is in our food system or even in our pet store.”