Friday, December 4, 2015


Genetically Modified Salmon

On November 19th, 2015 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first genetically modified (gmo) animal cleared for human consumption.  AquaBounty initially approached the FDA in the 1900s with no luck. Once approved AquaBounty stated that the fish were safe and ready to eat more than five years ago. Immediately after approval some consumers and environmental groups fiercely opposed to the gmo salmon. Fearing the safety of other species if the engineered fish were to escape into the ocean and rivers. The salmon is expected to grow full size in half the time of a wild salmon. Although it grows very fast it would take approximately two years before it can reach the local supermarkets.

I completely disagree with the approval of gmo salmon. It’s devastating to the population of wild salmon if an engineered salmon were to escape. It will out compete the wild salmon thus eliminating their existence. So what would happen to the people that want to eat wild salmon? There is no way of ever retrieving a species once its outcompeted and extinct. Its also devastating how slowly we’re killing our environment just for the profit. So at the end what is there left if we have destroyed our earth and its species? 

4 comments:

  1. I agree that this species would be dangerous if it were to be accidentally introduced to the wild salmon population, but if worse came to worse and wild salmon populations were no longer at a point of recovery (considering they are currently being over fished and their habitats are being destroyed) these GMO salmon could replace those populations or at least we could still have salmon on the menu.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree Josh. I feel like it would be better to wait until a point where salmon was close to extinction before we introduce this species. I this way we can not effect the current species of salmon, but allow the species to survive once it's almost extinct. I'm not against this idea of genetically engineered salmon, I just believe it's not the correct time to introduce these creatures to the wild or our diet.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I agree Josh. I feel like it would be better to wait until a point where salmon was close to extinction before we introduce this species. I this way we can not effect the current species of salmon, but allow the species to survive once it's almost extinct. I'm not against this idea of genetically engineered salmon, I just believe it's not the correct time to introduce these creatures to the wild or our diet.

    ReplyDelete