AquaAdvantage vs Salmo Domesticus

Home Forums Due September 10 by 11:59pm AquaAdvantage vs Salmo Domesticus

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  • #195756
    hmhellen
    Participant

    It seems like my post last night didn’t make it up. I apologize if this shows up twice.
    Salmo domesticus is farmed salmon that have been bred to grow quicker and bigger. AquaAdvantage salmon have been genetically engineered to grow at four times the rate of wild salmon. AquaAdvantage are all female and sterile so there is less of a risk of interbreeding with wild populations and harming their genetic diversity. AquaAdvantage salmon seem like a more scientific alternative to farmed salmon. Genetic engineering does not solve all problems associated with farming fish but it certainly minimizes some risks.
    I do believe genetically engineered food will become an important technology in the future. I think we should take advantage of this innovation but with caution and sparingly. Issues can easily arise with genetically modified food such as little genetic variation. In recent news we are seeing the danger of this as a banana blight devastates the most popular strain of bananas. Species that have little genetic variation amongst individuals can be more susceptible to diseases. GMOs also run the risk of affecting wild populations. Genetically modified crops can be accidentally interbred with wild version through pollinators that visit both kinds of crops. I also think we shouldn’t look to GMOs as a miracle cure for this problem. There are lots of other food sources available to us that have so far gone unused. Bugs are being coming are more viable option as a protein source. Since they are low on the trophic level there is also less energy lost by eating bugs than other sources of protein that are higher. I do take issues with the common argument against GMOs that humans are meddling in nature in ways we shouldn’t. I think scientific innovation will always seem this way at first until it becomes the new norm.

    #195778
    kmingo2
    Participant

    I also agree with your idea that genetic engineering is an important strategy for humans to use in the future but humans should proceed with extreme caution. As you mentioned, little genetic variation can cause our newfound food sources to be both more susceptible to diseases and causes issues with reproduction. I also like the idea of using bugs as a protien source.

    #195784
    imatsui
    Participant

    I liked you mentioned how Bugs can be future protein sources. Actually, it is getting big trend in Japan and there are already many people who started introducing bugs in their diet. Of course, there are a lot of people who doesn’t like the idea but I definitely see the possibility in bugs too.

    #195793
    svsanchezbutler
    Participant

    Genetic engineering of food is a great technology that humans have embraced, but I do absolutely agree that we should proceed with caution as there can be harmful affects onto the natural environment. But I still believe the main priority should be restoring the wild populations.

    #195794
    Kortney Birch
    Participant

    I like how you discussed other animals and food sources being discovered now that some species are in decline. It is important for humans to spread out their demands amongst different life to avoid causing extinction. But even though genetic altering of these fish is profitable, I don’t find it very ethical to use technology to create sterile fish.

    #195807
    bmarshall6
    Participant

    I agree that genetic engineering our food is a good idea and that it should be handled carefully. I think that we as a population are looking for a miracle solution and diving head first into something that we should instead be extremely cautious about first and foremost. Eventually I think we will be able to find a good balance between nature, genetic modification and costs but it will take a lot of testing to get there. Question is, do we as humans have the patience?

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Fish and Fisheries in a Changing World