Groups Slam Feds for Weak Review of GMO Mosquito Risks

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FDA assessment of plan to release genetically engineered mosquitoes in Florida Keys inadequate

WASHINGTON—Public health, food safety and environmental groups including Center for Food Safety, Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth and the Florida Keys Environmental Coalition are calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a new and more thorough review of the risks associated with releasing genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes. Biotech and pest control company Oxitec is urging the FDA to speed approval of a trial involving widespread release of GE mosquitoes in the Florida community of Key Haven. Oxitec’s application to the FDA does not claim that the release of the GE mosquitoes would cause the reduction of diseases such as Dengue or Zika. More than 2,340 public comments were submitted to the FDA’s regarding the review of Oxitec’s planned release of the GE mosquitoes in Key Haven.

In its formal review of the company’s application and environmental assessment, the FDA fails to evaluate key issues surrounding the releases, including safety to human health, potential for the experimental mosquitos to move out of testing areas, and whether or not large numbers of the GE mosquitoes will actually reduce the spread of diseases like West Nile, Dengue or Zika.

“Allowing the widespread release of potentially harmful genetically engineered insects before seeing the hard science is sheer negligence, especially when we’re talking about accidental ingestion,” said Jaydee Hanson, senior policy analyst at Center for Food Safety.

Several national, state and local groups have submitted comments to FDA, specifically calling into question the lack of safety testing for human consumption of the mosquitoes. In many areas where the company has already released the GE mosquitoes, so many mosquitoes were released that people could not avoid breathing in and swallowing mosquitoes.

“The FDA really missed the mark on this one,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. “The agency seems so eager to speed the process along that they have failed to do a real review of the potential risks, and are ignoring widespread concern in the community where the release will happen.”

The groups also flag the inadequacy of testing done to see how the modified mosquitoes will spread through the environment and what impact that will have on both local and regional ecosystems.

“FDA’s assessment is inadequate. GE mosquitoes would be virtually unregulated, and we don’t know how they would thrive in the wild and what the unintended consequences could be. They could cause more problems than solve,” said Dana Perls, senior food and technology campaigner with Friends of the Earth, U.S.

Local community members are particularly concerned about not having a voice in the issue.

“People here in Florida do not consent to the GE mosquitos or to being guinea pigs in a living lab for an experiment that hasn’t been properly vetted by the government. We are demanding sound science, not marketing hype. It is critical to prioritize the less risky, more environmentally sustainable, lower cost and natural alternatives,” said Barry Wray, Executive Director of the Florida Keys Environmental Coalition.

Groups with members who submitted comments are Food and Water Watch, Center For Food Safety, Friends of the Earth, the Florida Keys Environmental Coalition, Last Stand, and Change.org.

Please see this link for additional resources.

To view all public comments click here.

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Center for Food Safety (CFS) is a national non-profit public interest and environmental advocacy organization working to protect human health and the environment by curbing the use of harmful food production technologies and by promoting organic and other forms of sustainable agriculture. CFS also educates consumers concerning the definition of organic food and products. CFS uses legal actions, groundbreaking scientific and policy reports, books and other educational materials, market pressure and grass roots campaigns through our True Food Network. CFS’s successful legal cases collectively represent a landmark body of case law on food and agricultural issues.

One thought on “Groups Slam Feds for Weak Review of GMO Mosquito Risks

  1. again…for the bocc and the mcb.

    *************************************
    to whom it may concern
    i am a resident of key haven and completely resent this oxitec/mcb health intrusion whereas here is a list of questions sent to mcb and all county commissioners back in summer last year 2015..

    the highest concern is ‘by who’’s permission’? all met with a deafening ‘SILENCE’ from the mcb.

    local key haven poll of half the households showed a vote of NO CONFIDENCE and AGAINST the RELEASE FOR 75% polled.
    below are my questions not to be confused with the 75% against poll taken.

    *************
    HAS THERE BEEN INFORMED CONSENT GRANTED FROM THE PEOPLE OF KEY HAVEN TO PARTICIPATE AS LABORATORY SUBJECTS IN THIS HUMAN MEDICAL EXPERIMENT?
    and if not why not???

    1- 75% of key haven residents are against this multi-million frankenbug release and resent being a lab rat for any mcb/oxitec human experiment ESPECIALLY without our permission. when will it be asked?

    2- mcb must have a complete EIS overseen by a 3rd party committee before any question of approval is entertained by mcb.

    3- oversight and insurance responsibility will be underwritten by whom and what are the policy limitations as noted on the declaration page?

    4- there needs be peer review documentation before any question of approval is entertained by mcb

    5- the language used in the ed russo in the key west resolution that required the MCB to provide their authority, standards, and criteria for success and failure etc. must also be incorporated and published.

    6- please note the mila petition online against the frankenbug experiment.

    7- i’m still waiting on the professors protestation of fabrication proof paper he said he would do on the below hyperlink sent last summer that speaks for itself.

    GM mosquitoes increase spread of dengue fever in Brazilian town, causing state of emergency to be renewed
    http://www.naturalnews.com/046656_GM_mosquitoes_dengue_fever_Brazil.html

    8- this release will also include gmo female mosquitoes. WHAT? do you mean the biting kind?

    as you can see there are some serious questions attached to this proposed action…all of which has been to my understanding ignored by doyle the executive director. perhaps doyle is speaking of the other key haven…the one in the invisible all state insurance commercial?
    nevertheless i think the point has been made.

    thanking you in advance
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    key haven rd
    key haven

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