AquaBounty has been granted approval for the commercial production of its genetically modified AquAdvantage salmon at its Rollo Bay production facility on Prince Edward Island.
After an extensive and thorough evaluation, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) approved the production of the controversial salmon strain at the indoor site, based on the physical, biological and operational measures in place or planned at the facility.
This announcement by ECCC, which came to the same conclusion as the US Food and Drug Administration after assessing the company’s Albany, Indiana, land-based production facility, is the fifth regulatory determination of environmental safety after similar findings in the US, Argentina, Brazil and China.
AquaBounty will begin stocking the facility as soon as possible, with the first harvest of AquAdvantage salmon forecast for Q4 2020 – the same quarter as the first harvest at the company’s production facility in Albany, Indiana.
Sylvia Wulf, CEO of AquaBounty, stated: “We are pleased that Environment and Climate Change Canada has determined that AquAdvantage Salmon is safe to produce in our Rollo Bay production facility. We take biosecurity and sustainability seriously, and our state-of-the-art recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) design includes multiple and redundant physical barriers to escape. With this final regulatory approval now obtained, we anticipate hiring more people from the community on Prince Edward Island to ramp up commercial production of our salmon, joining our current staff of 25. I appreciate their dedication and perseverance in enabling the company to reach this significant milestone.”
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