Something Smells Fishy- Overcoming Misconceptions about GMO's

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AquaBounty Technologies applied to the FDA for formal approval of their transgenic salmon, AquAdvantage Salmon, in 1995. It is now 2013 and they are still waiting to hear the verdict. So what exactly are these transgenic salmon and why are they not available on the market even after eighteen years of waiting?

AquAdvantage fish are genetically modified Atlantic Salmon that grow much faster than their unaltered brethren. Usually, Atlantic Salmon only grow in the summer, when the warm waters trigger the production of growth hormones. Scientists at AquaBounty, however, found a way to promote the production of these hormones no matter what the season. They located a promoter, a sequence of regulatory DNA, in ocean pout (an electric eel-like fish that thrives in icy waters) that is turned on in cold temperatures. Once turned on, the promoter activates what ever gene follows it. By linking this cold-triggered promoter to the gene for growth hormone in salmon, AquaBounty created AquAdvantage Salmon-- fish that would grow twice as fast as the naturally occurring Atlantic salmon.

These genetically modified fish bring about both economic and ecological benefits. As Bryan Walsh points out in his article in TIME Magazine, "Frankenfish: Is GM Salmon a Vital Part of Our Future", the U.S. currently gets much of its salmon from abroad because of the lower cost. Shipping in fish from other countries means we are leaving behind a large carbon footprint in the form of fuel guzzling ships. Ronald Stotish, CEO of AquaBounty, believes that AquAdvantage fish would allow the U.S. to significantly reduce this carbon footprint by growing "salmon in land-based systems [at home], raising fresh seafood close to where it's needed".

Cartoon courtesy of Mike Keefe



Though the FDA concluded that these fish are safe to eat and pose no substantial impact on the environment, they have yet to approve them for sale on the market. One hindrance is the fear of the negative effects they may pose on wild salmon populations if they happen to escape. AquaBounty, however, ensures that it will take all necessary precautions to make sure that never happens. In her book, Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling Up To Biotech's Brave New Beasts, Emily Anthes reveals that AquaBounty will breed their fish in secure facilities, raising them in confined tanks away from their natural environments. As an additional precaution, "the company also plans to produce only sterile female fish-- incapable of passing their genes on even if they did somehow end up on the lam" (Anthes, 24).

Despite these efforts, AquaBounty still has its fair share of critics as some supermarkets claim that they will not stock AquAdvantage salmon even if the FDA approved them. Andrew Pollack discusses this issue in his article for the New York Times titled "Grocery Chains Won't Sell Altered Fish, Groups Say". In this article, Pollack reports the opinions of some of these chains including Aldi, whose spokeswoman states that Aldi's "current definition of sustainable seafood specifies the exclusion of genetically modified organisms". According to Pollack, other critics believe that the fish hasn't been safety-tested enough to be sold commercially and that the public won't want to eat it. When the FDA has stated that these fish "would be as safe to eat as conventional salmon", I have to wonder if these critics' fears are fueled more so by unease towards the world of genetic engineering than by health and environmental concerns. 

Movie Poster for the 2004 film Frankenfish via IMDb

Frankefish is a film about genetically engineered Chinese snakeheads who roam around in Louisiana swamps, terrorizing and murdering locals. "Frankenfish" is also the nickname critics have given to the AquAdvantage salmon. This is just one example of how genetically modified organisms (GMO's) are portrayed in popular media. With countless other sci-fi movies and novels depicting GMO's in such horrific colors, it is no wonder that the slight mention of "genetic engineering" has many cowering in the corner with fear. Just look at the effect GloFish, the genetically modified zebrafish made to glow under fluorescent light, had when they were first created. The internet was plastered with stories making these harmless fish seem like "monsters, harbingers of some sort of ethical or scientific apocalypse" (Anthes, 26). Eventually, GloFish did find approval and can now be found in pet stores and homes all over the country. They have done absolutely no harm and are loved by the customers who purchase them. Now that GloFish are so widely accepted, it becomes apparent how unfounded those initial fears and apprehensions were.

If we don't work on shattering these misconceptions, we could be missing out on a lot of good. While it is true that GMO's have their own sets of risks and dangers, they also have many benefits. Take Artemis as an example. She is one of many transgenic goats created by James Murray and Elizabeth Mega whose milk produces lysozyme, an enzyme that destroys the bacteria responsible for many gastrointestinal problems plaguing underdeveloped countries. According to Anthes, "more than 2 million children [die] of diarrheal disease every year" (36). The milk from these goats could change that, saving countless lives, if only they could get approval from the FDA as well as the doctors and patients who would benefit from it. As Anthes states, it is "appropriate for an animal intended for human consumption to be subjected to a higher level of scrutiny, but the end result is that these organisms can get stalled in a never-ending regulatory process" (39).

AquAdvantage fish have been stuck in that process for eighteen years. Their rejection by the FDA would be a major set-back for the world of GMO's, discouraging scientists from taking on future genetic engineering projects. This would be a shame. We know of the economic and ecological advantages that AquAdvantage fish pose for the U.S. as well as the health benefits of transgenic goat milk. These are only two examples of how genetic engineering could change our lives. Just imagine how many more possibilities are out there just waiting to be discovered-- possibilities that may never see the light of day if we don't deconstruct the biases surrounding this branch of science. So, while the nation eagerly awaits the FDA's verdict, we need to work on educating the general public on the true nature of GMO's, breaking stereotypes so we can learn to see both the good and the bad that these organisms can bring to our world.

Sources:

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

Pollack, A. (March 20, 2013). "Grocers Won't Sell Altered Fish, Groups Say". NY Times. Retrieved Oct. 11, 2013 from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/business/grocery-chains-pledge-not-to-sell-modified-salmon.html?_r=0

Walsh, B. (July 12, 2011). “Frankenfish: Is GM Salmon a Vital Part of Our Future?”. TIME Magazine.  Retrieved Oct. 11, 2013 from

http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2082630,00.html