Growth Hormone in Genetically Engineered Fish

Response 3 of 5 regarding Animal/Plant Biotechnology
Written: November 12, 2011

The Concerns Regarding Growth Hormone GE Fish

Due to the current and projected continuation of the world-wide food shortage problem, more attention is being directed at scientific research that has developed fish species that have been genetically engineered with growth hormones. For example, the full mature growth cycle of salmon has been reduced by roughly 30 percent, allowing for significantly faster food production. However, there has been growing concern regarding the safety of production and consumption of GE fish, and many opponents have expressed outcry over the possible dangers to public health and environmental safety (Pollack 2010).

In regards to concerns over food safety, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for regulating the commercial use of all GE animals, such as fish. Recently, the FDA has concluded that after exhaustive testing, genetically engineered salmon with growth hormone are safe for human consumption. They deemed that food from GE salmon is just like any other food from conventional Atlantic Salmon, and that there is no reasonable evidence of harm due to consumption of the fish (Pollack 2010). The FDA's research showed no differences between the two types and salmon, and they have concluded that there are no risks to public health due because growth hormones already exist in all the meats we currently eat. Also, no increases in allergens were found, which adds support to the claim to that salmon that are genetically engineered with growth hormones are safe for human consumption (ScienceDaily 2010).

However, even after the FDA's announcement, opposition groups have raised concerns that genetically engineered fish pose significant risks to the environment. Opponents to GE fish argue that containment of the fish is vital to the safety of the environment because accidental release could have widespread negative effects on local populations of native fish (ScienceDaily 2010). A scientific study was conducted in 2001 in order to determine if growth hormones had any effect on the mortality of GE fish in the wild. The results showed that there was no significant difference in recapture rates between the GE and non-GE fish that were tested in a wild stream. The study then concluded that mortality rates were the same for both types of fish, and that growth-enhanced fish can indeed be competitive in wild ecosystems. The data support the idea that growth-enhanced fish are no more susceptible to predation and starvation-mortality than regular fish. Because they can survive well enough, it is argued that GE fish could have the ability to out-compete the normal fish who have slower growth rates. (Johnsson 2011).

GE opposition groups fear that this could possibly lead to the destruction of local native fish populations, and have argued in favor of strict regulatory controls over GE fish production in order to prevent accidental release. Craig Altier, a member of the FDA's Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee has argued that the FDA needs to apply all the same regulatory security measures to the production and transport of these GE fish as they would for potentially dangerous medicines (ScienceDaily 2010). Overall, while GE fish have been deemed safe to eat by the FDA, there are still significant concerns about negative environmental impacts if the fish were to be released in the wild. There are still many obstacles that need to be overcome in order for growth-hormone fish to be utilized as a source of food for human consumers. Only the future holds whether or not GE fish will be used a partial solution to the world-wide food shortage problem.

Resources

Johnsson, J.I., and B.Th. Bjornsson. "Growth-enhanced fish can be competitive in the wild." Functional Ecology. 15.5 (2001): 654-659. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/826692?origin=JSTOR-pdf>.

Pollack, Andrew. "Modified Salmon is Safe to Eat, F.D.A. Says." New York Times 3 Sep 2010, Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/04/health/policy/04salmon.html>.

"Genetically Engineered Salmon Safe to Eat, but a Threat to Wild Stocks, Expert Says." ScienceDaily, 25 Sep 2010. Web. 13 Nov 2011. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100925105209.htm>.