Share your thoughts: Participate in the risk assessment process for GloFish® Corydoras
Current status: Closed
From March 8, 2025 to April 6, 2025, the New Substances program sought comments, including scientific information and test data that could inform the risk assessment process for the GloFish® Electric Green® Corydoras, GloFish® Moonrise Pink® Corydoras, GloFish® Sunburst Orange® Corydoras as part of the Consultations on certain living organisms new to Canada.
Background
The New Substances program, jointly administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada, is currently evaluating the GloFish® corydoras, notified by Spectrum Brands Canada, on January 23, 2025.
These ornamental fish are domesticated Corydoras anaeus, commonly referred to as “Cory catfish”, that have been genetically engineered to produce unique colours and fluorescence for use in home aquaria. The unmodified Cory catfish has been commercially cultured in the United States since at least 1933. GloFish LLC requested a review by the United States Food and Drug Administration of Orange and Pink Corys in 2021 and Green Corys in 2022. They received decision letters for commercialization in the US market. To develop the lines of fluorescent green, pink, and orange colours using fluorescent proteins, a domesticated albino was used as founder.
All three lines of GloFish® Corydoras have been modified to express different fluorescent proteins that were derived from natural marine organisms such as jellyfish, corals and anemones, giving each GloFish® Corydora their corresponding colour. The Electric Green® Cory contains multiple copies of genetic constructs expressing a green fluorescent protein. The Sunburst Orange® Cory contains multiple copies of a genetic construct expressing an orange fluorescent protein. The Moonrise Pink® Cory contains multiple copies of a genetic construct expressing a red fluorescent protein.
According to the notifier, the safety of these fluorescent proteins has been discussed broadly in the notification, and no cytotoxic or adverse effects have been identified by the notifier. The majority of these fluorescent proteins have been used in GloFish® species for decades, some proteins were in lines which were commercialized as early as 2005, without any reports of adverse effects.
These fish are developed only for ornamental use and are not for human or animal consumption. According to the notifier, their potential to survive in the Canadian environment, including cold winter temperatures is highly unlikely. The genetic modifications are not expected to confer any advantage for surviving in Canadian water bodies.
Privacy Act Notice Statement
The personal information is collected under the authority of section 5 of the Department of the Environment Act and subsection 7(1) of the Financial Administration Act.
The New Substances Program, jointly administered by ECCC and Health Canada, is undertaking public consultation that could inform the risk assessment process for GloFish® Corydoras organisms. The information is collected, used and disclosed for the purpose of evaluating the potential risks posed by GloFish® Corydoras to the environment and human health. Information collected by ECCC will be retained by the department and shared with Health Canada for the purposes of the evaluation. Your participation and decision to provide any information is voluntary.
The personal information created, held or collected by Environment and Climate Change Canada is protected under the Privacy Act. Information in this survey will be used, disclosed and retained in accordance with the conditions listed in the Personal Information Bank Outreach Activities PSU 938.
Any questions or comments regarding this privacy notice may be directed to ECCC’s Access to Information and Privacy Division at ECATIP-ECAIPRP@ec.gc.ca. If you are not satisfied that your privacy has been adequately respected, you have the right to file a complaint. You may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada by calling their information center at 1-800-282-1376 or by visiting their contact page.
Join in: how to participate
All interested parties are invited to provide comments, including scientific information and test data related to potential risks to the environment or human health from the GloFish® Corydoras. This information will be considered as part of the department’s assessment of the organism’s potential risks to the environment or human health, which is ongoing.
By mail
Send your comments to the address in the Contact us section below.
By email
Submit your comments by email: substances@ec.gc.ca.
Who is the focus of this consultation
We would like to hear from:
- Indigenous peoples
- provincial, territorial and local governments
- industry stakeholders and association members
- non-governmental organizations
- general public
Key questions for discussion
All people in Canada are invited to provide comments, including scientific information and test data that could inform the risk assessment process. Information that may inform the risk assessment process could include:
- environmental fate information
- ecological effects information
- human health effects information or
- exposure information (including sources and routes of exposure)
Related information
Contact us
Science and Technology Branch
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Place Vincent Massey, 351 St. Joseph Blvd
Gatineau QC K1A 0H3
Substances Management Information Line
Telephone: 1-800-567-1999 (Toll Free in Canada) or 1-819-938-3232 (Outside of Canada)
E-mail: substances@ec.gc.ca
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