Genetically modified fish are destined to hit the food cases of supermarkets at some point. Unfortunately, the risks of genetically modified fish may not be worth the potential benefits. Here's why.

    It's coming whether you like it or not. Genetically modified fish are expected to become an important part of the future food supply. Why? Because they grow at a rate that's up to two times faster than fish that haven't been modified and they're able to use food more efficiently which means it costs less to feed them. What fish farmer wouldn't like that? Unfortunately, a new report from the University of Gotherberg in Sweden suggests that genetically modified fish could be a significant threat to human health.

    The Toxin Problem

    According to this report, genetically modified fish have had genes inserted that not only help them grow faster and resist infection, but also make them more resistant to toxins. This means they could potentially build up higher levels of harmful substances which would be transmitted to humans when they're eaten With their already being concern about toxins in fish such as PCB's, dioxins, and mercury, this could raise an even higher levels of health concern, particularly for children and pregnant women who may be particularly susceptible to food-borne toxins.

    What If They Escape?

    There's also concern about the effects genetically modified fish would have on the environment should they escape into the wild. These modified fish would have a distinct advantage when it comes to competing in the wild due to their more efficient use of nutrients and their increased ability to resist infections that other fish might be susceptible to.

    If modified fish escaped into the wild, they would be able to freely breed with other non-modified fish which would create fish with unique genetic make-ups and unknown health effects when eaten by humans. Plus, there's concern that genetically modified fish that escaped into the world could upset the natural ecosystem. Like opening Pandora's box, it would be an irreversible step that could forever change the delicate ecological balance.

    A Possible Solution?

    Despite the fact that genetically modified fish are farmed and not allowed access to the wild, fish do escape from fish farms. In Europe, it's estimated that up to two million escape from farms each year. As a way to rectify this problem, there's talk of using only genetically modified fish that are sterile so they would be unable to breed with wild fish should they escape. The technique of making genetically modified fish sterile is still in its early stages and has yet to be perfected.

    The Bottom Line?

    Genetically modified fish present even more health issues than non-modified farmed fish – fish that are known to be high in toxins and likely pose health risks to humans. Genetically modified fish could potentially accumulate even higher amounts of these toxins. At the same time, they could upset the natural ecosystem if they escaped into the wild. Are the potential benefits worth such a risk?

    转基因鱼注定在某个时候要闯入超市的食品盒。不幸的是，为潜在的利益而冒转基因鱼的风险可能是不值得的。这里讲述其原因。

    不管你喜不喜欢，这种情况正在到来。转基因鱼有望成为未来的食品供应的一个重要组成部分。为什么呢？ 因为它们的成长速度达到非转基因鱼的两倍，它们能够更有效地利用食物，这意味着喂养它们花更少的费用。鱼场主难道不会喜欢这样吗？ 不幸的是，瑞典 Gotherberg 大学的一项新的报告提出，转基因鱼对人类的健康可能是一个重大的威胁。

    毒素问题

    根据这份报告，转基因鱼具有插入的基因，不仅可以帮助它们更快地成长并且抵抗感染，而且也使它们更能抵抗毒素。这意味着它们可能潜在地积累更高数量级的有害物质，会将人们已经很关注的在鱼身上的毒物例如聚氯联苯、二恶英以及水银传给食用它们的人类。这可能引起更高层次的健康关注，特别是对于对食源性毒素可能尤其敏感的儿童和孕妇。

    如果它们逃掉了呢？

    也担心如果转基因鱼逃到野外可能对环境的影响。这些转基因鱼，由于它们能够更有效的利用营养以及它们对于其它鱼类可能容易感染的病害具有更高的抵抗能力，与野生鱼相比可能会有明显的优势。

    如果转基因鱼逃到野外，他们可以自由地与其它非转基因的鱼进行繁殖，可能创造出具有独特基因构成的以及被人吃掉时健康影响未知的鱼。加上还有转基因鱼逃到世界将会打乱自然生态系统的担心。就像打开潘朵拉的盒子那样，它会是一种不可逆转的过程，可能永远改变世界微妙的生态平衡。

    一个可能的解决方案？

    尽管事实上转基因鱼是养殖而且不允许进入野外的，但是仍然有鱼逃离渔场。在欧洲，据估计每年有 200 万条鱼逃离渔场。作为解决此问题的一种方法，大家都说只使用不育的转基因鱼，如果跑掉，它们不能与野生鱼类繁殖。但是培育不育转基因鱼的技术还处于初级阶段，还有待完善。

    底线？

    转基因鱼比非转基因养殖鱼呈现更多的健康问题--已知鱼类是含有毒素较高的，并且可能对人类造成健康风险；而转基因鱼可以潜在地把这些毒素积累到更高的数量。与此同时，如果它们逃到野外，也可能会干扰自然生态系统。值得为可能的好处冒这种风险吗？