Predicaments related to the ecosystemic risk associated with the culture of transgenic fish.

Applications for the commercial culture of patented genetically modified (GM) fish are presently blocked by undetermined moratoria stemming from scientific and regulatory issues related to their ecosystemic compatibility and the possible hazards posed by escapees on hosting biocommunities. In this report, we shall discuss why the requirement of environmental risk assessment to check the fitness in nature of GM fish is not a practical approach and is not likely to resolve opposition to their entrance into the market. Following the seminal report by Palmiter et al. (1982) on the dramatic growth of mice bearing a metallothionein-rat growth hormone (GH) construct, it was rapidly shown that the same feat could be achieved in goldfish by Zhu et al. (1985), suggesting that transgenic technologies could hold the potential for greatly enhancing fish culture productions worldwide. Almost a quarter of century afterwards, a sequel of similarly successful accomplishments for growth enhancement in about thirty commercially farmed teleosts has been publicized in the scientific literature. The prediction that GM fish will be the first GM animals to reach the market has been finally fulfilled, but in a sort of trivialized version, as they entered the world trade in 2003 not for human consumption, but merely for relaxed entertainment. These are the so-called glowing-in-the-dar