A Review of Genetic Engineering in Current Aquaculture Practises

Abstract

Fish represent the main food protein eaten worldwide. Farming of fish has been a traditional practice in South East Asia for over 500 years [1], but with the recent collapse of major fish stocks around the globe and the increasing demand for fish, farming of fish species has turned into an intensive practice that is raising important concerns about its sustainability. With recent advances in genetics and marine biotechnology, aquaculture may undergo a further transformation with the addition of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to farmed stocks. Genetic engineering of fish and shellfish has been under development for decades but until recently this has been restricted to research experiments [2]. However, after 20 years of pressures from aquaculture and biotechnology companies, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is on the verge of approving genetically modified salmon in US markets [3]. This has opened major debates about the potential environmental outcomes and the possibility of approval by the global market. This article discusses the development of aquaculture over recent years with the advance of genetic engineering using salmon, ‘the king of fish’, as a case study.