GE-flies to be released in Spain and Italy?

The UK-based company Oxitec, specialised in “controlling insects”, is planning to release GE-olive flies into the environment in Spain and Italy, Testbiotech reports. The male insects are genetically manipulated, so female descendants will die as larvae.

The olive flies’ larvae live inside olives and can cause substantial economic damage. Oxitec plans to release an unspecified number of its genetically engineered male insects - aiming to reduce the populations of olive flies - in Spain, near Tarragona. The field trial will be netted to try to prevent the flies from escaping. Similar releases are planned in Italy. The experiments - as far as Testbiotech knows - have not yet been authorised by the national authorities, and it would be the first release of genetically engineered animals in the EU. More information is available from Testbiotech