Heard it all before: this is a gross mistake:

[Han]

US approves genetically modified salmon for food - BBC News

 

[Randall]

Yup. The dinosaurs in Jurassic park were supposed to be unable to breed too, and just look at what happened there ... LOL. Indeed, the whole thing seems fishy ( pardon me ). How do we know we won't end up with Salmonodon? Or what happens when something unexpected happens and these fish escape and are eaten by other fish, who then become sterile and can't breed, and everything in the ocean ends up sterile?

But wait a minute: Aren't these being grown for people to eat? Well in that case it's OK because there's way tooo many people now as it is anyway. Right? Ah ha! That's it! It's the leading edge of the population control conspiracy! They're sending them over there first which is where all the big population problems are. Good idea. Me, I don't want to have any more kids anyway, and I don't want to eat wild Pacific Fukushima salmon. Sounds like the perfect food .

 

[AlienEsq]

My primary concern is, how much genetically modified food are we able to consume without long term side effects? Scientists have already drawn connections between certain diseases and the genetically modified food we consume on a regular basis. Fish farming is one thing, but this is getting out of hand.

 

[Wade]

I've gone to the other side on this issue, although I wouldn't have exactly called myself an alarmist in the past I was more than skeptical about all this GMO food but the more I read about it I saw no convincing evidence that from a health perspective I needed to be scared of GMO foods. I do think there is a certain hysteria in some quarters and I even agree that GMO foods need not be labeled because they aren't ingredients and furthurmore people don't have a problem with eating other questionable foods that are clearly labeled with dubious additives that have been shown to have adverse effects although that will probably change very soon and we will all find out that its actually beneficial to your health to have a daily Carl's Jr. Western Bacon Cheeseburger. Historically I'm sure at one time sausages did not include sodium gluconate and likely there was some protest about it when it was added but here we are today eating sausages with SG and a whole lot more, mind you I know that some people are more conscious of what they are putting in their mouths but as a species we tend to throw caution to the wind if it tastes good or smells good sizzling in the pan.

Also I'm getting up there in age so if there are any health problems from GMO foods I'll probably be in the grave or very close to it maybe even from all those Western Bacon Cheeseburgers I consumed in my younger years.

If I have any issues with GMO foods it's more along with what Chris has pointed out and that is that these foods are coming from big Agra concerns and it's certain they will wipe out and ruin most the competition or the farmers will see the writing on the wall and turn their fields over to them. The single generation seed issue from consumer pov seems insidious, as a manufacturer it would make sense.

As far as this article in particular unless I'm missing the big picture I don't see anything concerning, disregarding the fact I'm not much of a fish eater I have heard that Pacific salmon is endangered because of environmental degradation to their spawning grounds and environmental pollution. So maybe this way of growing food is or will be very necessary, maybe the advent of GMO foods are in some cases can be attributed to the fact of humans beings are very poor stewards of the earth.

 

[Han]

My biggest problem with this is that I think that it is just the tip of the Iceberg

"There's been a feeling that many companies have been waiting to see if the US will approve GM salmon before going ahead themselves."

I don't believe that anybody knows the long term effects of eating GM food because it has only been around for a short time.

I think that waste is a far greater issue than the amount of food produced, and there should be harsh financial penalties against supermarkets etc who throw away such a high proportion of the food they stock.

Don't take my word for it, the next time you visit a supermarket ask at the Fish counter what happens to the Fishes that they do not sell?

There is a new fashion/fad for something called "Farm/Field" to Plate/Fork or Sea to Plate/Fork, but the reality is more like "Field to Trash Can/Rubbish Bin"

I can only talk with confidence about the situation in my own country: I know that people are going hungry whilst supermarkets etc are throwing away vast quantities of perfectly edible food.
Unfortunately the only language that big business understands is Money, and that is why I feel that a waste Tax or Levy should be used against them, but this would probably result in them passing the cost on to the consumer: but even that would be an improvement on the current situation, as people would be forced to think about it.