Those are wonderful questions.
First, there is a role for Environment Canada. Once there is an application for the sale of eggs to the United States, there must be an environmental assessment. But it's secret, and we will not know on Prince Edward Island when that assessment takes place. Everything is secretive. That's the problem with this particular process with genetically engineered salmon and eggs being developed on Prince Edward Island. Everything has been conducted in secret. We do not get the results of Environment Canada's assessment. We're not sure yet if the application has gone in. The only assessment that has been done has been AquaBounty's own scientific research and evidence presented to the FDA. There has been no peer assessment. There has been nothing else done that would replicate that.
What we do know is that much of the research AquaBounty has submitted to the FDA is flawed. It cannot guarantee full sterility of all of its salmon. It only did a study on six, but they say that if there is an escape, there's a 5% potential that the salmon could contaminate the wild salmon stocks in the Atlantic.
To some extent, we really came here to raise this as an issue for the government. If approved by the United States FDA, it will be the first genetically engineered animal for the dinner plate, and we know that there will be many requests that will come immediately following. The environmental risks are huge, as are the health risks, especially with respect to the allergens. It is believed that for anyone predisposed to being allergic to fish, this particular fish will intensify that greatly. It's a growth hormone that has been taken from two other fish, and it will make the AquaBounty salmon grow twice as fast for the first two years. It consumes much more food, and it has to be fed wild fish taken from the ocean. So there are huge environmental and health issues.
We're here to talk to you about the role that, we believe, elected officials like you have in dealing with this question in the House of Commons. It's critical.