AquaAdvantage’s genetically modified salmon (the new “Frankenfish”) possibly about to burst on to market shelves, reveals two kinds of “conservative” attitude in conflict with each other. We think of business conservatives single-mindedly seeking profit from ever more efficient production, distribution and sales by cutting costs, either raising profit margins or edging out competition with new methods or technology. Here, then, is a salmon that contains genes from a faster growing fish, allowing it to grow to market size twice as fast and larger, too. Sounds good, right?
AquaAdvantage wants to breed and raise these fish on land, not in rivers or the St. Lawrence Seaway, where they might escape into nature to pollute the genome of wild salmon and be subject to wild ailments and pests. But, wait! Health scientists find the altered salmon are more allergenic than wild ones. These may be dangerous to uninformed consumers. Geneticists worry that the implanted fish genes may get into the human genome, itself. Ecologists worry that in spite of safeguards certain of these fish may get into our environment anyway, through Murphy’s Law, like a biological Three-Mile Island meltdown. This has already happened with modified soybeans and some other agricultural plants.
The risk is, that these salmon are bio-genetically engineered through two generations: the first generation is diploid and fertile but highly allergenic. The second generation destined for market consists entirely of big, infertile females. These offer no special risk in the wild as they cannot survive long. The previous generation offers high risk of interbreeding with wild stock.
These worried scientists show the other kind of conservative feeling that does not want to risk rapid change that can bring unforseeable results. Don’t most of us favor the conservation-type of conservative over the rampantly profit-driven conservative who wishfully hopes bigger and faster profit will turn out okay?
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