Concerns Raised Over Altered Fish.
A new study maintains that the government is poorly structured to assess possible environmental hazards posed by genetically modified fish.... The study... comes as the Food and Drug Administration is considering whether to approve a salmon genetically engineered to grow twice as fast as regular salmon. By Andrew Pollack. [New York Times: Science]
Will engineered salmon out-compete wild fish for mates or food, if they escape? accumulate toxins like mercury at a faster rate. The fisheries experts I've talked with won't eat farmed salmon, because of the chemical load
Folks in the northwest are starting to notice that salmon from different river runs taste different, much like good wines are specific to their terroir. Will salmon that grow twice as fast taste half as good?
Speaking of fish, see also Audobon's guide to "which species are in good shape, which are not, and why." Or Environmental Defense's interactive Seafood Selector and Pocket Guide.
PS: Atlantic Sharks Found in Rapid Decline. Shark populations in the northwest Atlantic Ocean have plunged by more than half since scientists began keeping careful track in 1986. By Andrew C. Revkin. [New York Times: Science]
"It's a giant experiment, and we're not just playing in the laboratory here.... We're playing with the future of our marine food resources."
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