Word: supersalmon
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Unlike other genetically modified foods--so-called Frankenfoods--the supersalmon was born almost accidentally. About 20 years ago, a fish researcher in Newfoundland found that even though his saltwater tank had frozen, the flounder in it survived. Adapted to icy Canadian waters, the fish turned out to have a gene, known in other polar fishes, that produces an anti-freeze protein. While trying to splice this gene into salmon so it too could be grown in colder waters, scientists made a second accidental discovery: they found that while the gene didn't keep the salmon from freezing, a portion...
...company has 10,000 to 20,000 Atlantic supersalmon swimming in endless circles in 136 tanks at three locations in Canada's Maritime provinces. The hope is that these fish will soon be producing eggs for commercial aquaculture not just in Canada but in New Zealand, Chile and the U.S. as well. By turning to the supersalmon, says Elliot Entis, A/F's president, fish farmers could double production without doubling costs because the fish converts food into body mass so much more efficiently than ordinary salmon. That, he says, would mean "more fish for more people at a lower price...
...knows what ripple effects might occur if the new supersalmon escaped into the wild. One of the few studies done by U.S. researchers found a lower survival rate for eggs produced by transgenic fish. Still other studies show that despite their name, so-called superfish have diminished muscle structure and swimming performance. Says Canadian fish geneticist Robert Devlin: "Science, at the moment, is unable to give us a reliable assessment of risk...
Fearing a consumer backlash, New Zealand King Salmon, a major producer of Chinook salmon--the largest Pacific salmon--announced last week that it was suspending its gene-modification experiments. Entis, by contrast, believes he can win acceptance of his supersalmon through public education. "We have to show we have nothing to hide," he says...
...count on putting supersalmon lox on your Sunday-morning bagel anytime soon. The Food and Drug Administration must first approve introduction of the fish into the U.S., something that probably won't happen before...