GE or Not, Farming Carnivorous Fish is Stupid

anti-freeze (4.00 / 2)

Walsh's article stimulates a question I missed, although it should have been obvious: if this matter has much, if anything, to do with fish farmed in the tropics, why did AquaBounty go to so much expense to insert the anti-freeze gene? I repeat, this is all about getting the FDA seal of approval, which wil be used as a sales tool for eggs to be sold to fish farmers the world over. If FDA approves this, look for AquAdvantage salmon farmed in nets in British Columbia estuaries and Alaska bays, AquAdvantage trout farmed in the Great Lakes, AquAdvantage shrimp farmed off Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, etc.

Another question, perhaps even more relevant...noting that the growth hormone comes from Chinook salmon...

Chinook salmon

...an anadromous fish that is the largest species in the salmon family. It is a Pacific Ocean salmon and is variously known as the king salmon, tyee salmon, Columbia River salmon, black salmon, chub salmon, hook bill salmon, winter salmon, Spring Salmon, Quinnat Salmon and blackmouth. Chinook salmon are highly valued, due in part to their relative scarcity compared to other salmon along most of the Pacific coast.

...they average 10 to 50 pounds (4.5 to 23 kg) but may reach 130 pounds (59 kg).

Question: why don't people just farm Chinook salmon, instead of thundering off in pursuit of this genetic monstrosity? If AquaBounty actually intends to make money by raising fish in Panama, why don't they raise Chinooks? Why put a gene from Chinook into other species?

I'm not a professional commercial ichthyologist, far from it. What am I missing? AquaBounty obviously would benefit greatly by having a proprietary, branded, FDA-blessed line of eggs to sell. Does this make sense for anybody besides AquaBounty?

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by: count @ Wed Sep 22, 2010 at 02:09:45 AM UTC

Just a thought (4.00 / 2)

the fish are being raised in the tropics, but in the highlands where the water temp is cooler throughout the year. Not cold, but much cooler. On the coast, at sea level, the natural water temp is so hot it would basically kill the fish.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Wed Sep 22, 2010 at 04:17:27 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Panama temperatures (4.00 / 1)

Panama Weather

In mountain areas the average annual temperature ranges from 10ºC to 19ºC (50-66ºF) at various mountain elevations.

Of course "average" doesn't tell us how low the temp can go on a particular day, but I have shriveled my testicles swimming with freshwater salmon in lakes fed by snow melt. Atlantic salmon should be at least as hardy, and I doubt the Panama factory will be watered with snow melt.

Has Panama ever had snow?

No.

Does it snow in Panama?

actually, yes. Though it might sound crazy it does snow in Panama. The weather gets very chilly in the mountains, I've seen it.

I don't know the truth, but what really concerns me, I think, is that the more I look at this detail by detail, the more I see things that just don't make sense.

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by: count @ Wed Sep 22, 2010 at 05:22:47 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Panama factory temps (4.00 / 1)

From page 123 of the FDA briefing packet:

The Panama facility lies at an elevation of approximately 5,000 feet with water supplied by nearby spring. The temperature of the spring water is fairly constant throughout the year and at approximately 15 oC, is similar to that of the river that runs next to the facility and receives its water discharges. This temperature is near the optimum for Atlantic salmon growth and would not be an impediment to survival should any eggs or fish escape from the facility.

15 Celsius is about 59 Fahrenheit. It does not indicate a requirement for anti-freeze genes. What gives?

Haha moment from page 121:

Considering that this flooding was among the worst to ever occur in the area, it seems improbable that the grow-out facility would be impacted by future events of this type in a manner that could cause accidental release of GE fish.

That statement reminds me SO MUCH of MMS and BP's environmental plans.

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by: count @ Wed Sep 22, 2010 at 06:05:19 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Could the antifreeze gene be a marker? (4.00 / 2)

If the animals are transgenic, they'll be patented. Could the gene be a market to ID the patented salmon for trade, licensing, etc. purposes?

Normal people scare me.... But not as much as I scare them.

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by: JoanneRigutto @ Wed Sep 22, 2010 at 14:53:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

No. (4.00 / 1)

Triploid Atlantic salmon are sufficiently marked for ID purposes. The antifreeze gene has no application for growing fish in Panama. If it has future applications, and I think it will, it will be for animals grown in environments where it would be useful. Perhaps think about farming Gulf of Mexico shrimp in northern waters, for example.

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by: count @ Wed Sep 22, 2010 at 15:39:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

proof of concept (4.00 / 1)

I think inclusion of the antifreeze gene in this particular application is a proof-of-concept demonstration leading to future applications.

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by: count @ Wed Sep 22, 2010 at 15:41:55 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Even 'good fish' eat wild fish (4.00 / 2)

Even non-carnivorous fish like Chinese carp and tilapia are getting fish meal and fish oil in their diets because it helps them grow faster. Those kinds of "good fish" don't eat nearly as much as "bad fish" like salmon, but it's still a few million metric tons each year.  This was a somewhat startling item in a scientific article about aquaculture that I reviewed at the Ethicurean last year. So it's not enough to divide fish into carnivorous and omnivorous, we need to keep a close watch on what is in the feed.

As for the anti-freeze gene, I wouldn't be surprised if it was part of the original 'design' back when they thought it would be easy to get approval to raise the fish in Norway or British Columbia or other locations with cold water.  And now that they are going to Panama, it's a leftover from the early days.

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by: mental_masala @ Wed Sep 22, 2010 at 23:30:09 PM UTC