Uncontrollable Species Collapse Too High A Price For GE Predator Control

Using Genetic Engineering (GE) technologies such as gene
editing for predator control to drive population collapse or
extinction, pose unknown dangers and much suffering. [1]
Scientists have openly expressed concerns about the ability
to control gene trait transfer to other animals leading to
devastating indigenous species collapse and loss of
biodiversity. [2]

There is evidence to show that the
alarming levels of suffering in Genetically Engineered (GE)
animal experiments conducted by AgResearch. These are
continuing despite years of failure across multiple projects
as recorded in AgResearch annual report to the EPA.
[3]

AgResearch has developed 8 experimental GE lines
of cattle and there have been thousands of GE embryos
created and artificially inseminated into surrogate animals.
After 21 years, only 16 GE animals live. These GE animals
have suffered distressingly high levels of deformities;
abortions; been euthanised for humane reasons; or killed as
surplus to requirements. [3]

The latest “Climate
change” experiment reveals that the transfer of 100’s of
embryos engineered to change a dairy cow’s coat colour was
a failure and no pregnancies came to term. There is no
record of what the surrogate mothers suffered, as happened
in other experiments.
[4]

“These frivolous
taxpayer funded experiments are malicious and cruel; we
already have suitable light coated dairy breeds and use non
invasive predator control that have practical biodiversity
and climate change advantages.” said Claire Bleakley,
GE-Free NZ president.

“There can be no justification
for experiments that cause needless animal suffering.
Genetically engineered pests would not only suffer but have
the potential to create highly invasive species and cause
devastating ecological damage.”

A new research paper
by Höijer I et al (2021) has detected large unintended
mutations, such as chromothripsis and whole chromosome
deletions, are occurring across the whole genome of
gene-edited animals and plants. These structural changes at
“on” and “off” target sites (Off target sites are:
random, unintended mutations in areas of the genome that
were accidental) are induced by CRISPR-Cas9 and are
inherited across generations. [5]

“Proponents of
Gene Editing (GE) are wrong to disregard the scientific
reality and to oppose oversight regulation,” said Bleakley
“GE experiments in plants and animals have found
structural changes in “off target” sites that are passed
down and appear to increase through
generations.”

The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) should require AgResearch to analyze the GE animal
genome. Unless products of GE are regulated and the use of
new genomics tools, ‘omics’, and carefully designed
sequencing experiments are adopted to capture large genome
abnormalities, any food or organism changed with this
technology potentially hides an unknown devastating
ecological and human health
disaster.

References: 
[1] www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nz-scientists-exploring-gene-editing-tech-for-possum-eradication/5KI2R5AUZ7ABAVJF74BUSLTZMI/
[2]
Esvelt K.M. and Gemmell NJ. (2017). Conservation demands
safe gene drive. PLOS Biology, 15 (11): e2003850 DOI:
10.1371/journal.pbio.2003850
[3] www.gefree.org.nz/assets/pdf/GE-Animals-in-New-Zealand.pdf
[4]
www.gefree.org.nz/assets/Uploads/ERMA200223-2021-AgResearch-cattle-sheep-and-goats-annual-report.pdf
[5]
Höijer I., Emmanouilidou A., Östlund R., van Schendel R.,
Selma Bozorgpana B et al (2021), CRISPR-Cas9 induces large
structural variants at on-target and off-target sites in
vivo that segregate across generations www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.05.463186v1.full

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