STI News: 400 imported GM fish that glow in dark seized

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400 imported GM fish that glow in dark seized

by Chang Ai-Lien

 

 

 

A BATCH of more than 400 genetically-modified (GM) aquarium fish, the first GM

animals to be brought here for sale, have been confiscated by the authorities.

 

Throwing a spanner into plans to sell the fish here, the Agri-Food and

Veterinary Authority (AVA) said the importers did not declare the special status

of the ricefish that glow green in the dark - they have been implanted with

jellyfish fluorescence genes - or get proper permits for their sale.

 

 

 

However, the company that brought the fish in, aquarium supplies wholesaler

Adec Trading and Services, said the AVA gave it the wrong information on the

approval process.

 

According to an AVA spokesman, the fish were confiscated because 'these are

different from normal fish as they contain alien genes, and the greatest concern

is that they could get released into the wild and wreak havoc with our

ecosystem'.

 

'We would like to remind all ornamental fish dealers and the general public not

to import, purchase or keep transgenic fish as none has been approved for sale

here so far,' he added.

 

But Adec's director Gan Li Lian said the company had called AVA to ask about

the import procedures, and was told that no special declaration was needed, as

long as the proper fish name was indicated.

 

She said: 'We were not trying to flout the law. In any case, none of the

dealers or members of the public that I spoke to here knew that it was an

offence to have such fish. There were no announcements and this all comes as a

surprise to us,' she said.

 

In response, AVA said this was not the case.

 

'Our officers are thoroughly briefed on import and export procedures for

ornamental fish. We did not receive any call regarding the import of transgenic

fish.'

 

Madam Gan said the company bought a few hundred fish from a wholesaler who

drove in from Malaysia, and had been planning to import up to 1,000 fish from

Taipei-based pet store chain Taikong Corporation, if they were approved for

sale.

 

Taikong says there is no danger of the fish reproducing in the wild because

those sold commercially have been rendered sterile.

 

Although the fish, called TK-1, are already being sold in Taiwan, Japan, Hong

Kong and Malaysia, many developed countries shy away from GM products,

particularly animals. In the United States, for example, no transgenic animals

have been approved for sale.

 

To bring commercial GM products into Singapore, an importer must seek the AVA's

approval under the oversight of Singapore's GM organisms watchdog - the Genetic

Modification Advisory Committee, said AVA's Wildlife Branch head Lye Fong Keng.

 

The committee will set up an expert panel to assess the risks posed by the

products and advise the AVA on their safety. They can be imported only after

they are deemed safe by the AVA and a special permit is issued.

 

Officials from the AVA have been conducting checks on aquariums and wholesalers

here to make sure that none of them has the TK-1 fish.

 

The case is still being investigated. Those with queries can contact the AVA on

6751-9804.

 

Anyone who imports GM organisms into Singapore or possesses them without prior

consent from the AVA can be fined up to $10,000 and jailed for a year.

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