About 4.5 tons of genetically modified salmon have already been put up for sale in Canada by AquaBounty Technologies , a Massachusetts company.
The common or Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) is the first transgenic specimen to be marketed for human consumption , at a price of $ 11.70 per kg.
AquaBounty Technologies salmon incorporates DNA from king salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), a giant species from the Pacific Ocean, and from the fish Zoarces americanus, genetic contributions that affect the functioning of growth hormone, allowing them to grow twice as fast ( 3 years, 18 months pass).
Although they are biologically indistinguishable from unmodified fish, it has taken 28 years for their sale to be approved after scrutiny of regulatory hurdles, consumer misgivings and protests from environmental organizations.
However, some organizations still distrust this new product due to its environmental impact: it is feared that it could escape from fish farms and produce a negative impact on natural ecosystems. According to the Aquabounty company, this is unlikely, and also these new salmon carry less risk of being affected by parasites and pathogens than conventional salmon , among other advantages.