'Frankensalmon' ruled safe to eat: Fast-growing GM fish approved by scientists

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ScatMan

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...Fast-growing-GM-fish-approved-scientists.html

Genetically modified salmon, which grows at a superfast rate, is safe to be farmed and eaten, American scientists have declared.

The move by experts advising U.S. watchdogs will clear the way for the first GM creature to be sold as food.

The first GM salmon could be on American dinner tables within two to three years, and possibly on British plates soon after that, paving the way for the genetic modification of other fish and food animals into what critics are calling 'Frankenfood'.


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Shares in the company behind the technology leapt by 26 per cent on the London Stock Exchange on Friday, providing evidence that analysts see GM as the future of fish production.

However, the science is highly controversial and consumers will have questions about the impact on human health and the environment.

Critics of GM food fear the technology leads to the creation of mutant misshapen fish and could harm wild fish populations if they escape.

Research on GM trout in Canada found that while they grew faster and were much bigger, a number developed misshapen heads and bloated bodies.




The firm behind the GM Atlantic Salmon, Aqua Bounty, says its fish are normal but for the fact they grow up to three times more quickly.

As a result, the AquAdvantage Salmon reach a market weight of around 3kg (6.6lb) in 16-18 months instead of the three years for farmed fish. In theory, they would reach around 6kg after three years, which would be double the size of most natural salmon of the same age.

The growth is speeded up by the insertion of two genes, one linked to the production of growth hormone and a second to ensure growth continues even in very cold temperatures.

The technology allows fish farmers to produce many more salmon at much lower cost, so boosting output and profits.

The scientists behind the salmon have created safeguards to prevent any danger of them escaping and breeding with the wild population. These include ensuring all the fish involved are female and sterile.

Now, two expert reports commissioned by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration have concluded it is safe for GM salmon to go into production.


On health, the scientists on the Veterinary Medicines Advisory Committee said there are 'no material differences' between GM and conventional salmon. They say the fish contains the expected amounts of nutritionally important omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

They concluded: 'Food from AquAdvantage Salmon is as safe to eat as food from other Atlantic salmon.' And they added 'there is a reasonable certainty of no harm from consumption'.

However, they admitted there are gaps in the research looking at whether some types of GM fish - not those currently planned for dinner tables - might cause an allergic reaction.

On the environment, a second team of scientists concluded the safeguards put in place by Aqua Bounty would be sufficient to allow production to go ahead.

Initially, the eggs would be produced in Canada, then shipped to Panama to be grown and then killed. Over time the technology would be extended worldwide.

The FDA is due to make a final decision this month on whether to approve the GM salmon.

But a coalition of 31 U.S. consumer, animal welfare, environmental and fisheries groups is opposing approval.

They claim tests used to show the safety of the GM salmon were based on very small samples and point out that some of the fish had higher levels of growth hormone in their bloodstream, which is claimed to create a cancer risk.

While the GM fish are supposed to be sterile, critics said up to 5 per cent might be able to conceive and breed if they got into the wild.

Pete Riley, director of campaign group GM Freeze, said: 'We are extremely concerned about the potential for these fish to escape.'
 
They really do not know the effects of these fish on humans long term. They really need to do a long term study of at least 50 years before they consider it safe to eat.
No one knows the effect these GM foods have on human health, it is all speculation and theory based off of a few years research.
if it is found safe I wouldn't be opposed to a bit of GM salmon, I just feel that it hasn't been studied for nearly long enough.
 
What about all of the genetically altered/modified fruits, veggies, grains, and meat you eat now? At least we do here in the US. Not to mention hormones out the wazoo...
 
Saying these fish will not escape is only just a matter of time. Most of the time it simply takes flooding of the waters they are kept in.

The growth hormone makes cells speed their growth obiviously. People that eat this fish may have an increased possibility that if they developed cancer, that this speeds up the process. Wouldn't some cancer cells that already multiply at alarming rates, grow even faster? Cancer used to be a genetic mutation passed through families. Well they know that's no longer the cause with families that don't have the "Cancer genes."

What about people that have HIV, STDS, tumors, alzheimer's, dementia, etc...would these fish expedite the disease?

Out of 14 family members that have had cancer only of 3 of us are still alive(myself included) So I would not even take the risk of eating this fish. The sad part is they are going to continue this crap with other fish, etc...

Natural foods have less problems associated with eating them. Anytime, something is mutated by unnatural man made ways there is always risks and problems.

It has already been concluded that the reason there are so many fertility problems, is majorly due to the birth control pill. When women that are on these pills urinate, it gets flushed in toliet. Even when the water is processed and cleaned, the chemicals cannot remove the traces of the pill and men drink the water and is making a large portion of the population sterile.

If these fish manage to escape, the effects on the local wildlife(other salmon, crustaceans, herring fish, insects. etc...could devastating. The fish will feed on what I stated at much higher rate because of the size 3.8lbs more than the regular fish. These fish would decimate the small fish populations.
The GMF can even starve out or eliminate the natural salmon by food competition.

The GMF may even have to eat the regular sized salmon. I do believe that these fish will be able to spawn, it may take a period of time.

Who knows, if the salmon will increase the size of anything else that eats these fish including human pregnant mothers and children.
 
There's no way I'd eat it! Who made up the rule that bigger is better anyway? Why can't they just leave nature be
 
Clay;4454569; said:
What about all of the genetically altered/modified fruits, veggies, grains, and meat you eat now? At least we do here in the US. Not to mention hormones out the wazoo...

GM foods are not so prolific here as they are in the USA. As far as I am aware there is no GM foods grown in the UK. From what I was able to get hold of (net is playing up) there is only one type of food that is grown commercially in the European Union and that is a type of maize. However, it appears that only Spain is growing this commercially. The article I found is from Oct 2009 in the Guardian.
The UK's position has been to resist the introduction of GM foods. However, recently it seems like this is slowly changing but the majority of the UK public is apparently resistant to the introduction of any GM food stuff into the UK food chain.

While I think it would be an amazing thing I still think that more studies about the long term effects need to be carried out before everyone declares an end to world hunger. By long term I mean 25 years plus, preferably more. Theory, speculation and tests carried out over a few years are not enough to convice me.
 
well imo if it isn't poison it's gonna taste way worse than the original dunno about escaping beign an issue though, so long as they're only boostign how fast they get big rather than incresing the size of the fish it'll be no different in open water than the regulars, bunch of fisherman would be pissed though if they caught some only to find out they taste nasty.
 
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