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N e w s - F u l l S t o r y :
Genetically modified fish grow fatter faster WebPosted Thu Feb 15 14:54:03 2001 VANCOUVER-- Super-sized, wild rainbow
trout have been raised by scientists at a Department of Fisheries and Oceans lab
in West Vancouver.
Using genetic modification of fertilized eggs, the researchers were able to
grow fish that weighed 200 grams after one year. Unmodified trout weigh an
average 10 grams after a year's growth.
The work involved taking a growth hormone gene from salmon and injecting it
into the eggs of rainbow trout.
Don Noakes, one of the researchers, says the experiment was intended to
assess the risks associated with GM technology. Noakes says the knowledge can
then be used to create effective regulations for genetically modified products.
The research, carried out in 1994, is being published in the journal, Nature.
"Frankenfish"
Critics say GM research shouldn't be conducted in the first place. Dubbing GM
products "Franken" foods - or in this case, fish - some
environmentalists oppose the research because they fear the fish could escape
into the wild and wipe out natural populations.
Environmental group Friends of the Earth claims the public finds these types
of experiments vulgar and unnecessary.
Breeding for
tasty traits
Since the beginning of civilization, humans have domesticated many species,
selecting the animals that best suited their purposes for use. That way the
fattest, hardiest or even the most tasty were used for breeding. The same
applied to plants.
This long-term breeding means that domesticated animals and crop plants are
usually quite different genetically, from their wild relatives.
Genetic engineering is an attempt to speed up this process by directly
inserting a desired gene from one species into another.
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