TRANSGENESIS TOUTED AS SOLUTION TO FISH SHORTAGES

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 Intellectual Property & Biodiversity News - Vol. 6, Number 7 May 28,1997
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Trangenic fish are being developed by several organizations to stock aquaculture farms. These fish are created with specific traits such as enhanced growth rates, increased product efficiency, disease resistance a nd expanded ecological ranges. To achieve these desired traits, the fish egg s are injected or fused with the DNA of other species. One of the genes experimented with, is the human growth hormone gene. This gene has been inserted into the common carp, crucian carp and loach, resulting in a dramatic increase in the growth of these fish.

Another trait that is being experimented with, is the insertion of a coldwater tolerance gene from a fish, such as the ocean pout, into the Atlantic salmon. By doing this, the researchers expect to extend the rang e of the salmon to the coastal regions in northern Canada. The researchers working on these transgenic fish freely admit that an accidental release into the natural environment is a possibility, and that the methods of minimizing the damage from such an occurrence need to be addressed.

Choy L. Hew and Garth Fletcher, "Transgenic Fish for Aquaculture," CHEMISTRY & INDUSTRY, April 21, 1997.

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