The recent revelation by a scientist to the press that rats fed with GM potatoes developed immune system disorders and damage to intestinal lining has been alarmed the world community. GMOs are organisms produced through techniques in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur by natural means. So, all transgenic organisms would be GMOs. With the commercial release of transgenic fish targeted for the year 2002, we ought to take a hard look at these novel creatures, which hitherto did not exist on this planet. These are the handiworks of techno-savvy biotechnologists backed by huge amounts of money invested by biotechnology industry firms and private investors.
Coastal waters are amongst the most diverse and productive fishing areas.
It is also the zone which supports the majority of the world's artisanal and small scale fishworkers. As the marine aquaculture farms are almost entirely in the coastal zone, outbreaks of exotic organisms could pose a serious and immediate threat to small scale fisheries. There are increasingly frequent incidents of aquatic and other organisms getting willingly or unwillingly introduced into alien ecosystems. Aquaculture farms on the US and Canadian Pacific coasts have witnessed the escape of introduced Atlantic salmon farmed in net pens escape by thousands and millions. Imagine the scene with the net pens stocked with transgenic salmon.