As the United States awoke to its morning coffee, one of the biggest stories ever in the seafood industry was unfolding. Granola was choked on, orange juice spat out in shock, for at 9am the news was announced that the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) had approved the production, sale, and consumption of the first genetically modified animal in the United States -- AquaBounty’s faster growing Atlantic salmon.

Respected U.S. senators and congressmen, used to guarding their words and retaining composure, flung around expressions like ‘harebrained’ and ‘shock’ with wild abandon, and NGOs and consumer groups across the country took to the airwaves and social media to express their disdain for the decision, with influential groups such as Moms Across America being among the many calling for a boycott of the fish.