Genetically Modified Carp

~ How Far Away Are GM Carp ? ~

I’m all for embrasing technologogy when it is for the betterment of mankind, such as certain GM crops to help feed our ever increasing population. But I, like many other’s, have some concerns about altering genetics when it comes to animals. This is an interesting article about the genetically engineered AquAdvantage salmon:

http://tinyurl.com/3gqkcnt

According to this article GM salmon are not far away from our dinner plate, once this legislation has been approved; which no doubt it will be… if it hasn’t been already? Some questions that come to my mind from all this are: “what other species with we see this happen to? Will this gene-altering extend to recreational species? And most of all, what is the likelihood, if any, of fish genes mutating?” They say in this article that the salmon stop growing when they’ve reached maturity… will this always be the case I wonder?

If we see in the future GM sportfish, such as carp being introduced into carp fisheries, will they be accepted by the hard-core carpers? Importing foreign carp in to British waterways is still controversial, despite being an accepted practice for many years by fishery owners to boost stock and breed bigger, faster growing specimens to meet current angling demands.

It is going to be very interesting to see if we’ll end up catching gene-altered carp in our home waters one day? From my own fishing exploits I’ve seen some amazing deformity’s and hybridization of fish. Once other genes are introduced into the equation, what will some of the possible outcomes be?

As a small kid I vividly remember an episode, (don’t laugh) of Thunderbirds. Where some scientists had developed a growth hormone, which was spilt into a sink, eventually ending up up in a Florida swamp full of aligators. The aligators then miracuously grew into Godzilla sized giants, who terrorised the scientists, which ultimately led them to call for assistance from International Rescue. Even back then, over forty years ago, the fanciful prospect of artificially growing monster creatures had been conceived. Now it seems we are stepping a little closer to the reality of some gene-tweaked monster freshwater fish!

Check out the gnashers on this Goliath Tiger Fish, one of the worlds most dangerous bitey freshwater inhabitants, next to crocodiles and aligators. I wouldn’t ever want to see a giant GM version of him!!!

Happy (non-GM) hippo hunting

Niblet

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