A Faster-Growing Fish: Atlantic Salmon
 |
| Atlantic Salmon |
What is it?
Genetically engineered salmon can reach a market size of 7-10 pounds in 14 months or less, one-half to one-quarter the normal time. These fish require more oxygen and food on a daily basis-but less total food, advocates claim, due to a shortened growing period. Researchers say they can also modify a dozen or more other species of fish, potentially leading to a "blue revolution" in the fisheries industry.
Pros and Cons
Fish farmers want to cut costs, and these fast-growing salmon may help them do so. Modified carp, tilapia and other fish might ultimately provide savings to consumers as well, especially people in underdeveloped countries who need more affordable protein sources. Skeptics wonder if these genetically modified fish are safe for human consumption, while critics warn that the fish could escape into the wild, with unpredictable results.
Modified for Growth
 |
| Grass |
Grass
Commercial researchers are working on developing "low mow" grass that grows at a slower pace, so lawns could require less frequent mowing. Advocates note that gas-powered lawn mowers pollute the environment. Critics fear that blanketing the nation's golf courses and suburban lawns with millions of acres of genetically modified grass could have serious environmental consequences.
 |
| Chickens |
Chickens
Global chicken consumption is booming at more than 35 billion birds per year. Now some poultry farmers and biotech researchers are looking into how to get bigger birds and more of them. Taking eggs from the highest producing chickens, researchers inject them with embryonic cells from chickens bred to maximize meat production. The eggs can then grow into meaty chickens-all in record time, promoters say.
Aspens
The demand for wood products will increase by 50% in the next two decades, industry reports claim. So some tree farmers think it's good news that aspens and other trees can be engineered to grow more quickly. Advocates say fast-growing trees could take the pressure off the world's remaining forests. But critics point to an environmental downside: these trees, still in the research stage, could require increased amounts of fertilizer, pesticides and water.
 |
| Strawberries |
Strawberries
Most fruits and vegetables bound for supermarkets are picked before they're ripe. That's good for shipping and shelf life-but bad for taste. Now researchers have found the gene that controls ethylene, the hormone responsible for ripening. If approved for public consumption, strawberries, pineapples and other fruits and vegetables can ripen more slowly, have a longer shelf life and, supporters say, actually taste good.
Will They Escape?
Containment
If modified fish burst out of their pens and into the ocean, or pollen from GMO crops blows into a neighboring field, critics say the results are unpredictable. The modified organisms might be hardier than native species, outcompeting them and causing extinctions. Alternatively, some research indicates that modified fish, for example, might be good breeders but ultimately unable to survive in the wild. In this case, modified organisms could breed with wild species, transfer those weaker traits, and cause a population crash.
Pros and Cons
Advocates of genetic engineering say that modified plants and animals can, in fact, be contained. But dissenters observe that thousands of farm-raised salmon have already escaped from their ocean pens, and some types of windblown pollen can travel for miles.
We can sterilize these modified organisms, supporters say, so that if they do escape, they can't breed. Critics respond that sterilization programs are not completely reliable. And, they say, if we create huge stands of sterile trees and other plants, birds and insects that depend on seeds, nectar and pollen will be deprived of vital food sources.
|
