for the first time. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said

Thursday that it approved genetically modified salmon as safe for human consumption after

two decades of deliberation. The approval allows AquaBounty， the biotech

company that first applied for approval， to begin marketing its faster－growing salmon.

The FDA determined that they have met the regulatory requirements， but environmental

groups are strongly opposed to the move， saying the salmon could pose risks to other

fish if it were to escape into the environment.