Assessing whether a GMO will be safe for the environment

Gene technology enables the transfer of genes between species much faster and beyond the range that would occur naturally, or that which would be possible using conventional plant and animal breeding. Unlike synthetic chemicals, most GMOs can reproduce, multiply and spread in the environment after they are released. The genetic modification could give GM plants, animals or microorganisms an advantage that would allow them to increase in numbers and spread in the environment. Australia has a unique environment, and the impacts of GMOs will not necessarily be the same here as in other countries.
The environmental risks from GMOs will vary, depending on the characteristics of, and the interactions between, the organism, the trait introduced through the gene, and the environment. For this reason, risk assessments need to be conducted on a case-by-case basis.
The novelty of GMOs, the fact that like all plants they will continue to reproduce after release, the complexity of natural environments and ecosystem processes, and the unknown evolutionary fate of inserted genes, all need to be considered in predicting environmental impacts.
Risks of GMOs are assessed by considering the following factors:

• is the introduced gene unrelated to the species being modified, or is it an extra copy or some modification of the organism's own genetic material?
• does the new or modified trait allow the organism into which it has been introduced (the 'host species') to become toxic or cause disease?
• will the new or modified trait increase the environmental 'fitness' of the host species?
• is the host species exotic or native to Australia, and does it have pest, weed, or native relatives?
• could the new gene transfer to any other species, either to non-GM individuals of the same species, to closely related species through natural reproductive processes, or to distantly related species through possible (but rare or unlikely) processes or accidents?
• how much of and where will the GMO be released and how will it be managed and monitored?
• will the GMO persist beyond intended areas and what will be the environmental fate of any new substances produced by the GMO?