Thank you, Chair and members, for this opportunity.
I live in Nova Scotia, part of Mi’kma'ki. I wouldn't be here today if an American company hadn't chosen Prince Edward Island to produce the world's first genetically engineered food animal, a transgenic Atlantic salmon containing genetic material from a chinook salmon and an eelpout.
P.E.I. is in the centre of the range of Atlantic salmon in North America. Nature Canada's concern is that these salmon could escape and interbreed with wild salmon. For those who say it can't happen, earlier this year Brazilian scientists published a paper describing the first ever documented case of a genetically engineered animal, a fish, breeding in the wild.
I commend to you the submission by the Atlantic Salmon Federation to the Senate. Their call to protect wild salmon from GE salmon is grounded in science and decades of conserving Atlantic salmon.
I would also draw your attention to the submission made by the Assembly of First Nations. The AFN says that GE organisms could have negative consequences for first nations' inherent and treaty rights, and it recommends a number of amendments to part 6.
In 2017, this committee issued a report on CEPA and made five key recommendations on how to improve part 6. We are asking you to finish the work that this committee began in 2016. It was continued with Senate amendments to part 6, which were supported by senators from all groups.
Last Friday, Minister Guilbeault and senior officials appeared before this committee. We would be happy to answer questions about the oddly timed regulatory review, or the current level of consultation on GE organisms. The minister, in response to a question, said that our amendment on demonstrable need crosses a red line. We see it as common sense. There is also a red line when it comes to nature. Atlantic salmon and many other species cannot withstand additional impacts.
Remember, unlike chemical pollution, genetic pollution only needs to happen once for it to be widespread and irreversible. Nature Canada's interest is in protecting nature and preventing genetic pollution.
We look forward to collaborating with you on our amendments to protect nature and the wildlife we all cherish.
Thank you.