November 23, 1999
An application to reassess conditions on a genetically modified salmon research programme has been formally received by the Environmental Risk Management Authority.
The organism is the introduced Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). It has been modified by an all fish gene construct, promoter and cDNA containing the ocean pout anti freeze protein, plus the Chinook salmon growth hormone gene. The research is part of an ongoing programme run by New Zealand King Salmon Ltd at its facility in Marlborough.
The application is to ensure that containment controls on the salmon facility meet the requirements of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act. It is not a review of the approval for the research, only the conditions under which it operates.
The application arises from a review by ERMA New Zealand of a number of existing GM research projects and field tests. Some 23 field tests and 176 research projects were approved by the Minister for the Environment over a number of years before the HSNO Act the came into effect in 1998. (Further information on the earlier approvals and on the reassessment process are also available on the website). ERMA New Zealand has checked all the old approvals to see if they match up with HSNO standards.
In the case of the salmon research, the Chief Executive of ERMA New Zealand asked the Authority if there were ‘Grounds for Reassessment' of some of the controls. The Authority subsequently agreed in August that there were grounds for reassessment.
The reassessment application itself has now been made by the Chief Executive. A copy of the Executive Summary is attached. The main document is available on the website or on request from ERMA New Zealand. It sets out a number of containment issues for the salmon project and recommends controls to ensure that all the potential risks are managed. The key issues are the containment of salmon eggs in the raceways where the fish are kept, and the disposal of transgenic salmon off site.
The Authority will consider the application on10 December 1999. The Authority has decided that this is a GM development project – rather than a field test. Therefore there is no requirement, under the HSNO Act, to publicly notify the application or hold a hearing.
A final decision is expected early in the New Year
For further information:
| Bas Walker Chief Executive Ph. 04 473 8426 |
Karen Cronin Communications Manager ph 04 496 4826 or 04 918 4826 |
Attachment: Executive Summary
| Application Code | GMD99003 |
| Applicant | Chief Executive, ERMA New Zealand |
| Purpose | To propose measures to bring the development of the modified salmon in line with the requirements of the Third Schedule of the HSNO Act. |
| Date Application Received | 15 November 1999 |
Summary
This application relates to an approval for the development of transgenic salmon that was transferred to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act on 29 July 1998. The approval is item 156 of the New Zealand Gazette of Thursday 30 July 1998. Following an application from the Chief Executive of ERMA New Zealand, the Authority agreed on 5 August 1999 that there are grounds for a reassessment of genetically modified salmon in containment, due to uncertainty as to the adequacy of existing controls.
Background
The organism is the introduced Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) as modified by an all fish gene construct, promoter and cDNA containing the ocean pout anti-freeze protein promoter plus the Chinook salmon growth hormone gene. The research is aimed at developing salmon that can attain marketable size and weight much faster than the unmodified salmon. Apart from the addition of the growth promoting gene, the modified fish are no different than the unmodified fish already present in the environment in New Zealand. The fish developed under this application will not be consumed.
Since 1994 following approval by the Advisory Committee on Novel Genetic Techniques (ACNGT) transgenic salmon have been developed in a contained laboratory building in Marlborough and then transferred to adjacent grow out races with free flowing water. The grow out races are not part of the contained building used for the development of transgenic salmon but are necessary given the water volume and space requirement of fish that are required to grow through to maturity under containment. The grow out races do not have provision to stop gametes being discharged into the settling pond. The arrangements for the discharge of untreated water from the grow out races, i.e. directly into a pond and from there on to a stream, appear not to be in full accordance with the requirements of the Third Schedule Part I of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act 1996. In addition, disposal of transgenic salmon by burial at the Marlborough District Council landfill facility has previously taken place. The implications and potential effects of this disposal method for a large quantity of fish need to be considered with respect to security of off site disposal and any consequences arising from burial at the landfill.
The purpose of this application is therefore to detail measures to bring the containment of the modified salmon development that addresses the requirements of the Third Schedule of the HSNO Act, in particular to the containment of eggs in the raceways. In summary since this is an application for development in containment the:
- risks of having transgenic salmon in containment are considered to be negligible;
- cost is borne by the applicant;
- benefits relate to acquisition of knowledge to induce faster growth characteristics in Chinook salmon.
The application proposes controls to contain transgenic salmon eggs within the grow out raceways to prevent eggs coming in contact with sperm and escaping into the settling pond.
In preparing this application comments were sought from The New Zealand King Salmon Company Limited, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Department of Conservation and the Marlborough District Council.