Success: Costco to Ban Genetically Engineered Salmon

Target: Costco’s Director, Chief Financial Officer, and Executive Vice President Richard Galanti

Goal: Applaud refusal to sell genetically modified salmon.

Thanks in part to petitions like ForceChange’s Reject Genetically Engineered Salmon, the Costco supermarket chain announced that it will not be selling genetically modified salmon. This courageous decision is a huge step towards protecting wild salmon populations and ensures that potentially dangerous GMO products will not be made available to unwitting customers.

The news comes almost three months after thousands of protesters demanded that Costco pass on selling the salmon created by AquaBounty Technologies. By vowing not to sell the genetically modified fish, Costco joins a growing list of grocery store chains that now includes Whole Foods, Safeway, Kroger, and Trader Joe’s. “Salmon is too important for our diets, economy and cultural heritage to accept anything made in a lab—we want the real deal and applaud Costco for ensuring its customers that’s what they’ll get when they shop there,” said Heather Day, executive director of the nonprofit organization Community Alliance for Global Justice.

While there is no evidence that eating genetically modified salmon presents a health risk, there is valid concern that the genetically modified organisms may disrupt the balance of wild salmon populations. The salmon in question have been given a gene that allows them to grow twice as fast as wild salmon. Scientists and environmental activists worry that unintentional crossbreeding with wild salmon could blend gene pools and wreak disastrous havoc on an already vulnerable population.

Costco’s decision is one that forsakes the temptations of turning a quick profit and focuses instead on consumer and environmental safety. The company’s resolve should not go unrecognized, and it is essential that those responsible know that their actions have our support.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Mr. Galanti,

I am writing to applaud your recent decision to ban genetically modified salmon from Costco stores. Wild salmon populations are vulnerable,  and GMO salmon present a clear risk to the survival of the species. When major retailers choose to decline GMO salmon, geneticists lose the incentive to create them. By refusing to sell these fish, you, and the several other supermarket chains who have made similar decisions, have helped discourage their production entirely.

This decision is one that forsakes the temptations of turning a quick profit and focuses instead on consumer and environmental safety, and such resolve and commitment must not go unrecognized. Thank you for your dedication, and please be aware that you have my full support in this matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Hans-Petter Fjeld