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Fears over GM farm animals (Thursday, Sept. 5, 2002 -- CropChoice news) --
BBC news
Stricter controls on the development of genetically modified (GM) and
cloned animals should be put in place to avoid "mistakes", a panel of
experts has said.
The Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission (AEBC)
recognised there were concerns about, for instance, farmed GM salmon
escaping into the wild.
A strategic body should be set up specifically to deal with the issues
surrounding GM farm animals, it said in a report released on Tuesday.
The AEBC acknowledged that GM and cloned animals in conventional
agriculture were some way off.
But it said decision-makers should consult the public far more widely
in advance to avoid problems seen with public acceptance of GM crops
and food.
GM salmon
The panel, which advises the UK Government, recommended a review of
animal welfare legislation.
Its chairman, Professor Malcolm Grant, said: "There has to be an
informed public debate and adequate regulatory structures in place
before the possible arrival of the first genetically modified animals
on our farms or ready to be released into the environment."
The report investigated the range of possibilities for GM animals,
from sheep producing medicine in their milk to salmon designed to grow
two or three times faster than normal fish.
It said a ban on the commercial development of GM salmon and other
fish should stay in place while questions remained over the
environmental impact on wild stocks.
Prof Grant told a London news conference: "Once the salmon is in the
wild, it's in the wild.
"What we can't do is forecast accurately whether the effects will be
detrimental or positive."
He said the idea of cloning pets was "trivial, it's distasteful".
'Mistrust'
The report said developments in genetic biotechnology were
particularly sensitive because of the speed and nature of the changes
to animals it made possible.
The commission has taken a strategic look at the issues and
investigated the regulatory system to see if it could cope with future
developments in GM and cloned animals.
The report underlined that "in doing so we made sure that our
recommendations were influenced by the public's views.
"Our research shows that mistrust of official institutions affects
attitudes to these issues.
"There seems to be little outright rejection of applying GM and
cloning to animals, but people are worried about the speed of
developments and the possibility of mistakes.
"Above all they ask for a transparent regulatory system that they can
trust."
Public involvement
Other recommendations in the report, Animals and Biotechnology,
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