Oxitec still pursuing trial release of GM olive flies in Spain

British biotech firm Oxitec hopes a world-first field trial of its genetically-modified olive fly will still go ahead in Catalonia this year despite recently withdrawing its application for the experiment. There were Spanish media reports that the trial had been shelved amid “multiple obstacles and safeguards sought by the Spanish authorities”, while GeneWatch UK claimed it was because Oxitec lacked answers to questions on the potential impacts of the insects “on humans and the environment.”