Could be the death of an industry....can you believe this crap!!! (Metlakatla: for sale, to buy)

[DannyL]

Read for yourself.....I can't believe this...

JuneauEmpire.com – Updates » Monday, September 20th, 2010 » FDA to consider approval of modified salmon

[Metlakatla]

I don't think it'll be approved.

If it is, they may get around the labeling thing as far as it being engineered fish goes, but they'll still have to comply with various state regulations concerning how it must be labeled if it is farmed. With a little help from the press---which I can guarantee you this will get if it passes--could drive even more consumers away from the farmed salmon market.

Wild Alaskan salmon consumers can and will and do pay quite a bit for the real thing; I don't see this as any real competition. The other concerns, though, are extremely valid ones.

[Barkingowl]

If the company pays off enough lawmakers I'm sure it'll be available for sale.

[Sapperdoc]

This article just provoked an animated debate in my office. It was kind of cool actually, since most of the time we just talk about football, hunting, or simply talk smack to each other.

On the one hand, (the office "pro hand" I suppose) there are enough people in this country (and the world!) hungry and desperate enough that they will eat this fish if it can be cheaply provided to them, regardless of the unknown long-term impact of genetically modified animal meat. I guess from the POV of a starving man, dying in 20 years from some crazy frankenfish-inspired disease is preferable to dying in 4 weeks of malnutrition.

On the other hand, the "against hand," (I'll throw my hat in here) it is impossible to state with certainty what the effects of playing around with the DNA of another living thing are. If the FDA enforced a 100 year study and got some volunteer foodies, they might have statistical data to fall back on for a determination. Full steam ahead and let's see what happens, that is a one-way door on a potentially global scale. Relying on the corporation to provide empirical data is, at best, ill considered. Or, if you prefer, just stupid. Of course the company is going to say their product is the best thing since sliced bread, it's THEIR product!

The cynic in me of course doubts that it will improve food prices (it will, however, improve profits!). I also believe it sets a dangerous precedent if it passes, because after the FDA says fake fish are okay, the fake cow/sheep/emu people will be lining up right behind them. I think the determining factor will be if the FDA allows it to be marketed as "normal" because it is "close" with no labeling distinction. If they do, it will open up the GMO animal industry floodgates wide. Yay, big business!

Personally, I'm all for local food these days, meat, plants, milk, whatever. Sam Walton gets as little of my business as possible. Less miles on my grub, the happier I am. If you don't want GMO plants, grow your own. Same goes for meat and milk. Do it yourself, or find someone you know/trust to do it.

So, upside, if they go forward, they improve food supply to feed the masses. Downside, they could potentially kill a significant amount of people with side effects of some kinda genetic herpagohnasyphilaidsbola. And hey, NOBODY wants to go out that way. Yikes.

[Metlakatla]

The Creepy Science Behind Genetically Engineered "Frankenfish" About to Enter Our Food Supply Unlabeled | | AlterNet

Calitics:: GE Salmon Update: 25 Fishing Groups Oppose Approval of Franken-Fish

[Charles22]

No, this is going to raise the price of wild farmed Alaskan Salmon because people aren't going to buy the frankenfish.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Charles22

No, this is going to raise the price of wild farmed Alaskan Salmon because people aren't going to buy the frankenfish.

The frankenfish industry is pushing for it not to be labeled as genetically engineered, so the only labeling laws that would apply to it would be individual state laws, which for the most part would mean that it would only have to be labeled as farmed salmon, which it is. The consumer wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

But people who will eat farmed salmon will probably eat genetically engineered salmon as well, since they have little concern about the crap that they put on their plates and into their bodies.

And

Originally Posted by Charles22

No, this is going to raise the price of wild farmed Alaskan Salmon because people aren't going to buy the frankenfish.

There is no such thing as wild farmed Alaskan salmon. Did you mean farmed Atlantic salmon?

Fish farming is banned in the state of Alaska and has been since around 1990. In North America, farmed Atlantic salmon is raised primarily on BC's west coast. The frankenfish are Atlantic Salmon which have been spliced with a King salmon gene which eliminates the normal dormancy in their growth cycle and makes them grow bigger much faster.

[writerwife]

This gal will never knowingly purchase farmed salmon. Unfortunately, some of their genetically modified/engineered fish have already 'escaped' and gotten into the general population.
ugh.

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

But people who will eat farmed salmon will probably eat genetically engineered salmon as well, since they have little concern about the crap that they put on their plates and into their bodies.

Yes, I hear they actually have to add red dye to the water to stain the meat red, otherwise its just a pale, pasty white. YUCK

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Moose Whisperer

Yes, I hear they actually have to add red dye to the water to stain the meat red, otherwise its just a pale, pasty white. YUK

It's actually a pale, pasty gray.

In many states, it has to be labeled as dyed. Other places....well, you can pretty much bet that anything called "Atlantic Salmon" is farmed.