FDA Extends Comment Period on AquAdvantage Salmon Documents
March 1, 2013
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it is extending for 60 days the comment period for the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) pertaining to AquaBounty Technologies’ application for AquAdvantage Salmon. The comment period, originally slated to end on Feb. 25, 2013, now runs until April 26, 2013.
AquAdvantage Salmon are Atlantic salmon that have been genetically engineered to reach a measure of growth commonly used in salmon aquaculture more rapidly than other farmed Atlantic salmon. This is commonly linked to “reaching market size” (about 2-5 kilograms or about 5-12 pounds) in less time than other farmed salmon.
The draft EA and preliminary FONSI are one step in FDA’s evaluation of the AquAdvantage Salmon and do not indicate an approval of the application. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) requires FDA and other federal agencies to perform such assessments whenever a major Federal action is taken.