Genetic-modified goats cause controversy
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Beatriz Oliver expected a pleasant trip to the Central Experimental Farm with her two young children.
Instead, she saw genetically modified goats on display, leading to a sticky web of confusion. The animals in question are two goats at the Canada Agriculture Museum with the sign "spider (transgenic) goats."
"I was in shock and I didn't know how to react," said Oliver.
The goats have been modified with genetic material from spiders. The goal was to create a silk that can be extracted from their milk. The company that developed it, Nexia Biotechnologies went bankrupt a couple of years ago.
The two spider goats don't look any different from other goats.
Oliver has a four-year-old daughter and two-and-a-half-year old son.
"I was glad they're too young to read the signs," said Oliver. "I didn't want to have to tell them that someone put spider DNA into these goats."
Oliver is concerned because the museum and the Experimental Farm attract thousands of visitors each year. She said that because there hasn't been widespread debate in Canada on the issue, having genetically modified animals on display sends the wrong message.
Canada Agriculture Museum spokeswoman Kelly Ray said the goats have been at the museum since June 2010 she isn't aware of any other complaints.
The Agriculture Museum is part of the Canadian Science and Technology Museum Corporation, which has an emphasis on bio-technology in agriculture.
"It makes sense to have them (the spider goats)," said Ray.
"The goats are not here to advocate genetic research," said Franz Klingender, curator of agriculture at the Canada Museum of Agriculture. "They are here to educate our visitors. Our goal is simply to talk about modern agriculture."
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