ok.. want to clear some things up from what I have researched.
These fish apparently have been around for quite some time, and were created (and how they serve this purpose, I can't figure out.) as a polution indicator fish, somehow, they are supposed to help people figure out polution levels in a body of water.
The only thing I can think of, is that their flouresence makes them easy to spot, and thus catch, and thus they are released into an eco-system and caught later and disected and a bio-assay is done on their tissue to see what is getting into the natural fish. Since these are a tropical species incapable of surviving in north american water ways, the ones they don't catch die off every winter, even in places like texas... though, I would want dead to rights proof that these fish will die in florida... (whatever.)
I am kind of in agreement with scotty, and at the same time, kind of not. I mean, where do you draw the line, and how can that line be arbitrary to one and not another? I agree with Larry that the creation of the fish is and of itself not a cruel act, As all life shares so much DNA, that the replacement of these genes may not be so much a re-placement, but a crude way of 'switching them on' so to speak... in the same vein.. how do you really know, as scotty says, that that is all you have done? I guess observe the fish and see... if it looks happy, it's probably happy...
ok... as for people turning a profit on this fish, while I am on the fence about the whole genetic tinkering thing, if these fish really can benefit our environment (when used responsibly by pro's of course) and, as the companies web site says, proceeds go towards funding the lab to further it's goal of environmental protection, it's almost not so bad... note.. I said "ALMOST" because I can read between the lines... this lab will make money, probably more than they know what to do with.
Plain and simple truth... (IMHO) God did just fine on his own and doesn't need us fiddling around with these animals genes to try and improve the situation... we invariably screw things up this way. (BTW, I think breeding veils and so on is jus tlike breeding jack russels and bull terriers... I don't have a problem with it, as long as the animals remain domestic.)
One real cause for concern, that cleary puts a point on this whole argument, is the Frankenfish... a genetically altered salmon (produces incredible amounts of growth hormone.) Fisheries are trying to get rights to raise these genetically altered fish in net pen habitats, escapes happen from these habitats.... and according to the facts and numbers, even if the companies achieved a 99.9% sterility rate from their freak fish (which are designed to grow faster, put on more weight and generally make more food for us, but suffer from defects in that their anatomy can NOT keep up with the modifications (undersized heads, deformities) any how, even at 99.9% when your talking millions of fish, those that escape and are NOT sterile, posessing a breeding advantage (females go for the larger males) could literally wipe out the natural population of these fish in decades. (RE total DISASTER.) all for a buck...
and when you get right down to it, how is a glo fish much different? It may have started with good intentions... but well, I guess who knows... one could say that a fish that glows, if it did make it into it's native indian waterways... would make a pretty inviting snack... (Of course, India has already played with the balance of it's eco-systems by importing crocs to eat the dead people they float down the... umm.. is it ganges? not sure... heck... I am not sure of anything... it's late... time for bed.
