Does anyone know what crops are GMO here in Panama???
I am doing a research on GMO foods (and how to avoid them!!!) Here is a link to an article I found on internet
GM salmon's global HQ – 1,500m high in the Panamanian rainforest
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I knew that GMO Salmon was being introduced into Panama, but this article was a shock!
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Have you been to the GMO Farm? It has been in located above Boquete for 20 years and few people know of it's existence.
Sadly, the government of Panama has been welcoming to GMO companies because of the revenue it generates. Pesticides are also heavily used here.
"Boquete Panama Guide" (http://www.boqueteguide.com/?s=trout) reported a couple of times on the trout business in Boquete and linked to http://fis.com/fis/techno/newtechno.asp?id=52462&l=e&ndb=1 which states that Lamasur's core business since it was founded in 1993 was (non-GMO) trout.
According to an SEC filing (http://aquabounty.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2014-04.25-AQB-For...), Lamasur's relationship with Aquabounty began in 2008.
GOPs and DEMs.
This article was published in LaPrensa today. FreeTranslation - rough edit by me. http://www.prensa.com/impreso/panorama/cria-salmon-permiso/415884
Salmon Farming, without Permission
El Centro de Incidencia Ambiental (The Center for Environmental Impact) denounced Aqua Bounty Panama. Authorities detect that firm incurred in violation of the rules.
29/10/2014 - The National Environmental Authority (ANAM) fined the company Aqua Bounty Panama for it's abnormalities in the production of transgenic salmon in Boquete, Chiriqui.
The penalty of $9,500 was imposed after the Center of Environmental Impact (CIAM) lodged a complaint against the commercial firm for failing to meet environmental standards in its activities.
The company is dedicated to research on the breeding and fattening of transgenic salmon and non-transgenic to determine if it is viable export to countries like the United States.
In accordance with the resolution of Anam, with registration from 30 July 2014, Aqua Bounty Panama did not provide "evidence of permission granted for the implementation of the activity" for the date on which the staff of that entity inspected the site, i.e. on 8 March 2012.
"It is the duty of the promoters comply with the environmental impact study, the corresponding management plan and any other established aspect in the environmental resolution that approved the implementation of a project," says resolved.
In addition, it establishes that "there is no evidence of permission to the introduction of species under investigation. The same was filed on March 8, 2012 ". However, for officials of ANAM that document should be presented long before.
In fact, the inspectors indicate in their reports that Aqua Bounty Panama was "in compliance" since the beginning of its operations.
Other irregularities, according to Anam, is that there is no evidence of presentation of report on the implementation of mitigation measures contained in the management plan and the resolution of approval of the environmental impact study.
CIAM, ON ALERT
Luisa Arauz, which was responsible for the legal part of the CIAM, mentioned that the management of the transgenics is a topic that should be better assessed by the authorities to avoid any impact to the environment.
According to Arauz, the complaint against the company producer of salmon was filed in 2013, as a result of anomalies such as the lack of plans for the control of pathogens, absence of epidemiological surveillance and because it exceeded he permissible ranges of discharge of wastewater that is discharged on the Caldera river.
Equally, nor introduced regular tracking reports to the environmental impact study.
"What we are looking for with this is that companies comply with the regulations that protect the natural resources of the country", added Arauz.
Within the environmental organizations there is a certain apprehension by the cultivation of transgenic salmon and suggest care with good controls, because it is a genetically modified organism. For these groups, it is not only an environmental issue, but health.
Panama has signed the Cartagena Protocol on Biodiversity, which advocates the prevention when it comes to the risks of handling modified beings.
Harley Mitchell, the son, madrigal Legal of Anam, indicated that this item must be valued, since the modified species can contaminate other nationals.
"In this case Anam acted in good shape, but I feel that it had to be more blunt, due to the irregularities of the company," he warned.
Consulted in this regard, the vice president of marketing and sales of Aqua Bounty Panama, Henry Clifford, stressed that the items have already been resolved with the Anam and kept working to meet all the rules and regulations that the Government of Panama requires this type of projects.
"Aqua Bounty maintains its commitment to continue the research currently conducted by us, for the sake of a significant scientific progress, always respecting all the conditions of environmental protection at the national and international level," he concluded.
In a report the World Health Organization stipulates that "having many types of genetically modified organisms, it is not possible to make general statements about the safety of all. Although the currently available have passed risk assessments and is not likely to pose a risk to human health".
On the possible risks mentioned the cause of allergies, gene transfer and mixing with other species and amend them.
Kind of hard to follow that, but it appears that this decision, which was just made public yesterday, revolves around AquaBounty not securing all necessary permits back in 2012. Here is the company response:
"AquaBounty Technologies suggests that the concerns outlined by Panama’s government were largely administrative in nature and notes that any problems have all been dealt with already.
“It is important to emphasize that none of the issues in the Resolution questioned the containment, health of the fish, or the environmental safety of the facility,” the company said in a statement sent to IPS.
“When AquaBounty was informed of issues at our Panama facility, we immediately contacted Anam, the Panamanian agency for the environment. We initiated a program to remedy the deficiencies and the issues were formally resolved in August of 2014.”
The company notes that its Panama facility “continues to operate with no sanctions or restrictions.”
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/29/panama-regulato...
"The Panamanian regulatory decision, which was made public on Tuesday, actually stems from a 2012 investigation of AquaBounty’s facilities and was decided in July of this year. It found that the company had failed to secure necessary permits, particularly around its use of water and pollution of the local environment."
Is the farm shut down now, or still operating?
I offered the Wiki article, as you say, as a quick reference to salmon production in general. Thank you for mentioning the FDA site. There is enough information there to keep a ningbat busy for days.
http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/developmentapprovalprocess/gene...
Most everything we eat is the result of artificial manipulation by humans.
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