Friday, October 11, 2013

A Very Fishy Fish




The notion of modifying organisms to suit our needs has been the source of inspiration behind novels, movies, and advancements made in the field of biotechnology.  It has been several decades since the advent of genetically modified crops which are used for industry or for consummation by people.  Initially labeled as a hazard to us and to non-genetically modified crops, these man made plants were not welcomed, but having seen their benefits, many welcomed their presence into our groceries and kitchens. 
                In her time TIME article, Grocery Stores will not sell Geneticaly Modified Fish, Alexandra Sifferlin underscores the conundrum going on among large scale grocery retailers regarding genetically engineered salmon, infamously known as “Frankenfish”.  These stores have all joined Genetically Engineered (GE)-Free Seafood, which is a “coalition” of these stores that are opposed to the sale of this particular genetically engineered salmon.  This new fish is modified to grow more quickly than its “normal” cousins.  The “manufacturer” of this new beed of fish, AquaBounty’s AquAdvantage,  has taken a gene from another species of salmon, the Chinook salmon, a larger northern fish and imbibed it into “conventional Atlantic Salmon”. That gene keeps a vital growth hormone activated rather than shutting it down after a certain point, enabling the AquAdvantage salmon to grow more quickly than it normally would. 
                This would be a precursor to major economic gains for fish farmers and growers in North America because it would make salmon growing more efficient, thereby exempting us from having to import a significant amount of salmon (which is in practice today).  It would save our food providers import costs and save the consumer money, but this genetically modified friend has been met with opposition.  Sifferlin mentions that many groups greatly opposed genetically modified crops and attributed it to having dire consequences on our health, but in fact they really did not have data to support this assertion.  She discusses how consumers and famers rallied against genetically modified potato production until it was dropped in Germany.  The article mentions that, without even any sort of knowledge of its benefits and drawbacks, 91% of Americans are opposed to genetically-modified seafood entering the market.  Sifferlin notes that Whole Foods has mentioned that consumers are mostly aiming for non-genetically modified foods.  She concludes by stating that AquaBounty’s “cash flow has been dwindling” and it has enough capital for one more year of sustenance for the company, but it is moving with meager means. 
                In her book, Frankenstein’s Cat, Emily Anthes discloses her view on people’s close mindedness towards accepting genetically modified foods and biotechnology.  Referring to the very issue of genetically modified salmon and its pending approval by the FDA, she mentions that “If the agency ultimately rejects the fish-or fails to approve them before AquaBounty Runs out of money-it will have a chilling effect on biotechnological innovation in the United States, discouraging other scientists and entrepreneurs from developing new kinds of transgenic animals”(54)  She deems this a “shame” that will prevent us from reaping from the benefits that biotechnology brings, especially biotechnology that is designated for medical purposes.   Anthes emphasizes that these negative “gut responses” to biotechnology are not “always grounded in the world or reason” and are a “primitive reaction which has no inherent wisdom” (49). 
It is a must that we as human beings are able to put our emotions aside and view such a dilemma from a rational perspective, as Anthes advocates.  We need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages and use logic to work together to make progress, while of course ensuring that what we doing is moral and that we are bringing the least pain to any form of life.  If we were close-minded when it came to technological advancements in our history, the human race would never have attained the technological accolades it has gained over the years.

Sources:
 Anthes, Emily. (2013). Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling up to Biotech's Brave New Beasts. New York: Scientific American, Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Sifferlin, Alexandra(2013)"Grocery Chains Won't Sell Genetically Modified Fish"Time.com
< http://healthland.time.com/2013/03/21/grocery-chains-wont-sell-genetically-modified-fish/>





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