So I'm doing a presentation on AquaBounty technologies (who are based in PEI) transgenic Atlantic Salmon (an iteroperous salmon - spawn multiple times during their life).
Edit: Sorry, the presentation is for my Ethics of Genetics course at the U of A.
I'm wondering what is public perception of this? (I won't be using this in the presentation, just curious).
Here's their website:
http://www.aquabounty.com/
Here's how the genetic modification works:
- The promoter (a regulatory DNA sequence, it does not produce a protein) from the Ocean pout antifreeze protein was hooked out to the Chinook salmon copy of growth hormone (the actual growth hormone is identical to the one in Atlantic salmon, however it is regulated differently). This was then integrated into the salmon genome.
This results in faster growing salmon but not significantly larger salmon (see the website for more details). Apparently they also have a slightly improved feed-to-mass conversion (which is very important as Salmon eat other fish which are ultimately wild caught :| <-- making farming them redundant in my opinion).
The biggest concern is invasion of native populations.
The likely hood of them out competing native stocks or closely related species is contentious. Some experiments show that it is very likely to occur, others suggest it probably won't happen.
This is likely because non of the experiments actually use AquaBounties specific transgenic line but rather transgenic Chinook salmon or transgenic rice fish.
Do you think it's safe alternative to wild caught? and in what context? Sea pens vs. Recirculating system?
Would you eat them?
Are you just saying no because of the "yuck factor"?
Questions?
[This is a really quick run down, I may repost a more detailed/organized version depending on if I get any responses]