Episode description
In mid-November 2015, the FDA in the United States approved the first genetically modified animal for human consumption when a genetically modified salmon achieved regulatory status. The announcement was met with an almost immediate uproar from opponents of genetic modification. In America, genetic modification is generally concentrated within the realm of cash crops such as soybeans, corn, canola and cotton seeds. The case of salmon, however, marks a departure from the issues generally surrounding this debate, although the lasting impact of this regulation may not be lasting. Aquabounty, the company responsible for the salmon, is relatively small and cannot easily sell its technology to other producers due to constraints in the industry.