GMO Salmon Production Closes Its Doors

Larry A. Law

In late October 2024, a biotech boondoggle closed its doors. On page 25 of my book (chapter 4), I document the details of AquaBounty's "The Superfish." Just four years after its first harvest of genetically modified (GM) Atlantic salmon in Canada, the US-based company is selling its GM fish factory there. Federal and provincial governments invested over $8 million in the company through grants and loans.

Genetically Modified Fish

"Millions of our public money was wasted to support this worthless, dangerous, genetically modified fish," stated Leo Broderick. Leo is a member of the coalition GMO-Free-PEI. Rollo Bay in Prince Edward Island (PEI) was the location for AquaBounty's buildings dedicated to raising GM salmon. In February 2023, the company announced it would no longer produce GM salmon at Rollo Bay, and in September 2024 the company announced it was selling the buildings there. The Canadian facility was one of two sites operated by AquaBounty. Both are now closed. The second site was located in Indiana and was sold to Superior Fresh, which only uses non-GMO fish and non-GMO fish food. 

GM Salmon Factory in Ohio?

AquaBounty stated that it would use the funds from the sale of its buildings in PEI to finance construction of a bigger GM salmon factory in Ohio, but that construction has been on hold since June 2023. The GM salmon was the first ever GM animal food sold anywhere in the world. It was sold without any mandatory labeling. Nothing indicated to consumers in Canada or the US that it contained genetically modified ingredients. This was a blatant example of the conspiracy between the food industry and governmental regulatory agencies.