The newest food controversy is in the area of genetically modified fish. What are these scary sounding creatures made of? Well, that is the big question. Supposedly, the FDA believes there's no difference between the creation engineered by AquaBounty and that found in the wild. The former, however, has an added a growth hormone from a Chinook salmon that allows the fish to produce growth hormone all year long. They did this in the laboratory by finding a way to keep the hormone active by using another sequence from an eel-like fish. Man, doesn't that sound like Jurassic Park? Consumer groups at least want this new breed labeled in some manner but that may not happen and so you wouldn't be able to distinguish the regular salmon from the new genetically modified ones. Well, except the latter will be wearing bandannas, smoking in the corner or doing reps on the bench press.
There is a bigger issue, here. Don't be fooled into thinking that the continual hunt to modify our food is to cure world hunger in countries that need it (hint: not America). This is about money. It is to make these companies patent holders over these fish. The problem in the future, however, is as they breed with regular salmon they spread their genes to them. Soon, companies like AquaBounty would be suing regular fisherman coming off their boats with their catch if they find any "modified" fish in there. If you think I am crazy, then check out the relationships of farmers, their corn and the lawsuits by Monsanto. Industrialized fish, in my opinion, is not the same thing as fish in the ocean. We will never be able to understand all the variables of creating food and our history shows we have not really gotten when we mess with nature.
There is a bigger issue, here. Don't be fooled into thinking that the continual hunt to modify our food is to cure world hunger in countries that need it (hint: not America). This is about money. It is to make these companies patent holders over these fish. The problem in the future, however, is as they breed with regular salmon they spread their genes to them. Soon, companies like AquaBounty would be suing regular fisherman coming off their boats with their catch if they find any "modified" fish in there. If you think I am crazy, then check out the relationships of farmers, their corn and the lawsuits by Monsanto. Industrialized fish, in my opinion, is not the same thing as fish in the ocean. We will never be able to understand all the variables of creating food and our history shows we have not really gotten when we mess with nature.
Going back to Jurassic Park, here is Dr. Ian Malcolm to John Hammond:
"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
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