This is the VOA SpecialEnglish Agriculture Report.
A number of companies are expected to seek approval from theUnited States Food and Drug Administration to produce geneticallyengineered animals. However, a recent report questions whether theF-D-A can supervise the production of such animals.
For example, Aqua Bounty Farms is a company based in Waltham,Massachusetts. It has developed a kind of salmon that grows muchfaster than natural salmon. It will be among the first companies toseek F-D-A approval for a bio-engineered fish.
Many environmentalists oppose the fast-growing salmon. They fearthat such fish could endanger natural salmon if they escape into thewild.
A public policy group, the Pew Initiative on Food andBiotechnology, released a new study on the issue. The study says theF-D-A may not be able to legally supervise bio-engineered fish underexisting law. The F-D-A has said current laws permit it to supervisefoods and drugs. A top administrator says that should be enough.Current law considers the genetically engineered salmon to be a “newanimal drug.”
Yet, the F-D-A may not be able to ban a bio-engineered animal ifit is a threat to the environment. The report says this is aweakness in the current food and drug laws. It also presents anotherlegal possibility. The F-D-A’s power to supervise such animals as”drugs” could be cancelled in the courts.
Aqua Bounty Farms has made many details of their research public.However, the company has done more than the law requires. Currentfood and drug laws make the approval process for geneticallyengineered animals secret. The secrecy protects the rights ofcompanies that develop the new animals. However, it also preventspublic comment on the new animals.
The report raises other questions as well. It says that the F-D-Amay not have the resources to supervise animals that are geneticallyengineered to be used as food or to produce drugs. The resources ofthe Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Fisheries Service maybe needed for effective supervision.
The Pew Initiative report does not oppose genetically engineeredanimals. It says there could be good results from such animals. Butthere also could be risks. The report is meant only to suggestpossible legal problems in supervising production of these animals.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by MarioRitter.