A salmon horror story

  • Sunday, November 22, 2015 6:37pm
  • Opinion

You sit back in your cinema seat and grab your popcorn.

The lights go down and the show begins. A giant wooden door appears on the screen and slowly creaks open to reveal a figure of horror — the scaly, wide-eyed face of a salmon.

Alaskans scream in terror.

We take pride in our fish and their value to a healthy seafood industry, but Thursday’s FDA approval of a genetically engineered salmon threatens that pride.

The AquaBounty AquAdvantage salmon — patented and trademarked — is an Atlantic salmon that incorporates a growth hormone gene from the Chinook salmon and a genetic switch from the ocean pout that keeps the gene producing growth hormones constantly instead of seasonally. As a result, the fish grows to market size in half the time of a wild fish.

The engineered fish are scheduled to be produced in Panama, from eggs raised in Canada.

The problem for Alaskans is that there may be no way for consumers to distinguish between wild salmon on store shelves and this engineered cousin. The federal government does not require the labeling of engineered food, and in fact the U.S. House has passed a bill that prohibits states from mandating such labeling. (The bill faces tougher opposition in the Senate).

Without proper labeling, the market for wild Alaska salmon is in real trouble.

A 2013 New York Times poll found three-quarters of Americans said they would not eat modified fish, and 93 percent said all food containing modified ingredients should be labeled.

It’s important to note that these concerns, while widespread, are groundless. Engineered plants have been widely used for decades, and you probably have engineered food in your pantry or fridge right now.

Groundless fear is still fear, however, and unless we ensure that consumers are informed, they will avoid what they fear.

People avoiding engineered salmon will avoid all salmon, including that caught in Alaska, unless they can clearly differentiate. Even then, it will be a tall order for marketers, including the Alaska Salmon Marketing Institute, to spread word of the difference.

Engineered salmon aren’t likely to land on store shelves soon — the Center for Food Safety and other organizations have promised a lawsuit — and so we hope Congress will have time to act and pass a firm labeling law before the first engineered scale touches water.

Without that kind of law, the horror won’t be on the screen. It’ll be in the empty harbors of Alaska’s seafood ports.

— Juneau Empire

Nov. 20

More in Opinion

A cherished "jolly Santa head" ornament from the Baisden Christmas tree. (Photo provided)
Opinion: Reflections of holidays past

Our family tradition has been to put up our Christmas tree post-Thanksgiving giving a clear separation of the holidays

Screenshot. (https://dps.alaska.gov/ast/vpso/home)
Opinion: Strengthening Alaska’s public safety: Recent growth in the VPSO program

The number of VPSOs working in our remote communities has grown to 79

Soldotna City Council member Linda Farnsworth-Hutchings participates in the Peninsula Clarion and KDLL candidate forum series, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, at the Soldotna Public Library in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
Opinion: I’m a Soldotna Republican and will vote No on 2

Open primaries and ranked choice voting offer a way to put power back into the hands of voters, where it belongs

Nick Begich III campaign materials sit on tables ahead of a May 16, 2022, GOP debate held in Juneau. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: North to a Brighter Future

The policies championed by the Biden/Harris Administration and their allies in Congress have made it harder for us to live the Alaskan way of life

Shrubs grow outside of the Kenai Courthouse on Monday, July 3, 2023, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Opinion: Vote yes to retain Judge Zeman and all judges on your ballot

Alaska’s state judges should never be chosen or rejected based on partisan political agendas

A vintage Underwood typewriter sits on a table on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022, at the Homer News in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Point of View: District 6 needs to return to representation before Vance

Since Vance’s election she has closely aligned herself with the far-right representatives from Mat-Su and Gov. Mike Dunleavy

The Anchor River flows in the Anchor Point State Recreation Area on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023, in Anchor Point, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Opinion: Help ensure Alaskans have rights to use, enjoy and care for rivers

It is discouraging to see the Department of Natural Resources seemingly on track to erode the public’s ability to protect vital water interests.

A sign directing voters to the Alaska Division of Elections polling place is seen in Kenai, Alaska, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
Vote no on Ballot Measure 2

A yes vote would return Alaska to party controlled closed primaries and general elections in which the candidate need not win an outright majority to be elected.

Derrick Green (Courtesy photo)
Opinion: Ballot Measure 1 will help businesses and communities thrive

It would not be good for the health and safety of my staff, my customers, or my family if workers are too worried about missing pay to stay home when they are sick.

A sign warns of the presence of endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales at the Kenai Beach in Kenai, Alaska, on Monday, July 10, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Opinion: Could an unnecessary gold mine drive Cook Inlet belugas extinct?

An industrial port for the proposed Johnson Tract gold mine could decimate the bay