Abstract

Reference: Pew 2003
Title:  Future Fish? Issues in Science and Regulation of Transgenic Fish
Authors: Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology
Publisher:  Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, 1331 H Street, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20009 USA. 
Publication details: January 2003. 72p.

 

Future Fish? Issues in Science and Regulation of Transgenic Fish describes some of the products that could be created through the application of genetic engineering to aquaculture as well as the potential environmental and food safety issues associated with such products. The report also analyzes the process through which regulators plan to evaluate transgenic fish. By consolidating both the scientific and regulatory issues concerning genetically modified fish in this report, the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology hopes to facilitate a robust discussion about genetically modified fish and the adequacy of the regulatory process through which they may be brought to market.

In recent years, scientists have applied genetic engineering for a wide variety of purposes to a host of animals traditionally used as food sources, including cows, pigs, and fish.  However, at this time, these products remain research possibilities rather than commercial realities. Only one animal—genetically modified fish—is thought likely to come to market in the near future.

The applications of genetic engineering to animals could provide numerous benefits, including the possibility of safer, cheaper food supplies and the creation of new sources for scarce pharmaceutical resources. The potential benefits of animal biotechnology will become a reality only if regulatory systems can review these products in a comprehensive manner that merits public confidence and gives product developers a clear pathway to the marketplace. Such regulatory review processes need to include a careful, thorough, and rational consideration of risks and benefits.

Back to Pew Initiative page