By Chad Love

From this story in the New York Times:
The Food and Drug Administration is seriously considering whether to approve the first genetically engineered animal that people would eat — salmon that can grow at twice the normal rate. The developer of the salmon has been trying to get approval for a decade. But the company now seems to have submitted most or all of the data the F.D.A. needs to analyze whether the salmon are safe to eat, nutritionally equivalent to other salmon and safe for the environment, according to government and biotechnology industry officials. A public meeting to discuss the salmon may be held as early as this fall.

AquaBounty, which is based in Waltham, Mass., and publicly traded in London, said last week that the F.D.A. had signed off on five of the seven sets of data required to demonstrate that the fish was safe for consumption and for the environment. It said it demonstrated, for instance, that the inserted gene did not change through multiple generations and that the genetic engineering did not harm the animals. “Perhaps in the next few months, we expect to see a final approval,” Mr. Stotish said. But the company has been overly optimistic before. He said it would take two or three years after approval for the salmon to reach supermarkets.

OK, so the obvious question is: would you eat it? And what will this mean for wild salmon stocks? Endanger them? Take off some of the commercial fishing pressure? I know these super salmon are supposed to be sterile, but come on, didn't they see Jurassic Park?

Comments (8)

from jeffclark533 wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

Even though this is pretty amazing and a breakthrough, I just don't see the FDA approving this anytime soon, maybe not at all. I also see the fish farms that will develop these fish running into issues. This is just crazy.

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from AJMcClure wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

Long term conclusive studies are sometimes not used to adequately gauge how chemicals react with us over a long period of time. That is why Doctors don't prescribe new medicines to their own families, but if the meat is safe and the growth hormones don't build up in our systems and harm us then, I think this is a good discovery, regardless I would like to see Arkansas's Game and Fish stock bigger deer, and bass that have been developed through good old selective breeding like them boys out of Texas. Sometimes bigger is better like our 6 foot 6 quarterback Mallett that dominated Texas A&M last year. Cheers.

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from Mike Diehl wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

Darn! I really was looking forward to salmon the size of the Hindenberg. Because they're predators, it's be like a Leedsicthes with attitude. Sharks would have to look over their shoulders. It'd put the sport back in "sport fishing." And don't get me started on the playfully humorous gag opportunities to be had in selling divers wetsuits that look like red-devil lures!

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from WA Mtnhunter wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

And so what happens to the fish that mix with the ones that escape from the fish farm pens and breed and the ones that escape and are eaten by sharks and orcas?

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from countitandone wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

In review, it's not okay to inject Human Growth Hormones in our athlete's bodies, but soon to be okay to have Salmon hit home runs?

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from hi_tail wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

Man there're some things that are just disturbing about technology; this is one of them. A huge benefit to hunting and fishing is that it's as 'natural' as you can get.
You keep your frankenfish.

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from jbird wrote 1 year 46 weeks ago

I'd try it.

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from dneaster3 wrote 1 year 46 weeks ago

good enough for the mass market? yes.
good enough for my plate? not likely.

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from hi_tail wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

Man there're some things that are just disturbing about technology; this is one of them. A huge benefit to hunting and fishing is that it's as 'natural' as you can get.
You keep your frankenfish.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Mike Diehl wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

Darn! I really was looking forward to salmon the size of the Hindenberg. Because they're predators, it's be like a Leedsicthes with attitude. Sharks would have to look over their shoulders. It'd put the sport back in "sport fishing." And don't get me started on the playfully humorous gag opportunities to be had in selling divers wetsuits that look like red-devil lures!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from WA Mtnhunter wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

And so what happens to the fish that mix with the ones that escape from the fish farm pens and breed and the ones that escape and are eaten by sharks and orcas?

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from countitandone wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

In review, it's not okay to inject Human Growth Hormones in our athlete's bodies, but soon to be okay to have Salmon hit home runs?

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jeffclark533 wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

Even though this is pretty amazing and a breakthrough, I just don't see the FDA approving this anytime soon, maybe not at all. I also see the fish farms that will develop these fish running into issues. This is just crazy.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from AJMcClure wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

Long term conclusive studies are sometimes not used to adequately gauge how chemicals react with us over a long period of time. That is why Doctors don't prescribe new medicines to their own families, but if the meat is safe and the growth hormones don't build up in our systems and harm us then, I think this is a good discovery, regardless I would like to see Arkansas's Game and Fish stock bigger deer, and bass that have been developed through good old selective breeding like them boys out of Texas. Sometimes bigger is better like our 6 foot 6 quarterback Mallett that dominated Texas A&M last year. Cheers.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jbird wrote 1 year 46 weeks ago

I'd try it.

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from dneaster3 wrote 1 year 46 weeks ago

good enough for the mass market? yes.
good enough for my plate? not likely.

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All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.