The Interdisciplinary Study of Genetically Modified Salmon and Their Effects on the Environment and Indigenous Communities

• Main Authors: Fair, Victoria, Mittleider, Kaydee
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Western CEDAR 2022
• Subjects: Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs); Atlantic Salmon; Lummi Nation; Cultural Anthropology; Ecology; Economics; Biological and Physical Anthropology; Atlantic salmon
• Online Access: https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwu_honors/546; https://cedar.wwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1535&context=wwu_honors

This project is an interdisciplinary view of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), specifically GMO salmon, through a biological, anthropological, and economic lens. The interconnection of these disciplines is shown through looking at GMO salmon and aquaculture effects on the Lummi Nation and the environment, while taking a close look at the first company to be approved for GMO salmon for human consumption that occurred in 2015 and the processes that are involved for approval of GMOs. The essay, through a biological lens, will explore the importance of salmon and their role in the ecosystem. Through an anthropological lens a discussion of the Lummi Nation, the importance of salmon in their culture and the Cooke Aquaculture Spill that took place in 2017. Economically there will be the discussion of the Food and Drug Administration approval process and the economic impacts of introducing GMO salmon onto the market. To tackle complex issues, it requires the collaboration of multiple disciplines, otherwise a cohesive solution will never be reached.