Mutated genetic supertrout developed in lab

[Wes]

Belgian 'blue cow' biotech produces: Das ?berfisch ?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03...the_ubertrout/

[Corvus]

Welcome to the strange world of Dr. Frankenfish. Just think, if this guy gets together with the Missouri State fish hatchery thats using steroids on trout we could have 200 pound Rainbows in just a few short years....

[Cold]

Heh...Dr. Terry Bradley...I dated a girl with that name...she was not a mad fish scientist, though...as far as I know.

[Corvus]

The rule of unintended consequences applies here. Asian Carp were supposed to clean up weeds in closed environment "fish farms", until flooding set them free. Genetically modified corn wasn't supposed to spread to adjoining fields, now it's DNA is present in every field of corn in this state. The DNA of hatchery raised Rainbow trout is present in every existing strain of native wild trout in the US [unless there is some undiscovered population in some mountain meadow out west] Wild Salmon are now being subjected to the intermixing of the farm reared fish set free by the latest earthquakes and tsunamis off the coast of Chile. The telling comment here was; "just because we can, should we?"

The anthropocentric idea that we have complete dominion and control of spaceship earth is hubris of the first degree. That this Frankenfish could be released into the existing population is another example of that very fact. After Trout do we enhance Cod and Tuna and Mackerel and whales, so Japan doesn't have to sacrifice as many for scientific reasons? Where does it lead? Where does it stop?

One thing I am sure of; If one part of the system is unsustainable, the entire system is unsustainable.

This is a very troubling and thought provoking event, just one more in a long line of messing with Mother Nature. It scares me.

Corvus

[EdD]

I wonder where it will end. Will Tyson's chicken breed double-muscled chickens? If so, will they still have "tenders"? Will the French follow up their historic successes by breeding double-muscled snails? Will some eco-terrorist organization seed the Everglades with double-muscled pythons? Will some Vanderbilt researcher breed double-muscled linemen in another attempt at a winning football season for Vandy?

Ed, who thinks that there is potential for some very good, bad science fiction afoot.

[Bedlam]

I would rather them focus on a cure for my double muscled gut. If I spread my fingers out and push hard enough I too have somethind resembling a six pack.

[FishnDave]

Clearly there are pro's and con's. Personally, while I'd love to catch a beast like that, I hate for native stocks to get diluted by these. If they want to use these at fish farms, perhaps they should make these fish triploid so they can't spawn, in case of accidental release?

[Buddy Sanders]

There are places where using these as 'stockers' would be a real plus.

I understand that if they could reproduce, you'd want to keep them out of contact with native trout. Can't have our native fish getting bigger or stronger. Wouldn't be natural.

But many of our rainbow fisheries are put and take. If these fish would produce more fish per pound of food pellets, then it could be a winfall to heavily strapped state stocking budgets. We as anglers would get more fish while it would cost us less.

And, if they were stronger or hardier or faster or maybe even all of these as well as maybe more argessive, then that would be a solid win over most of the current crops of stocked trout.

Pike predation of stocked trout is a big issue in some lakes. If these fish were more 'survivable' it might leave more fish for anglers to catch.

Of course, they could also be major disaster.

I just prefer to try to look on thebright side.

Bring on the supertrout. I'd sure like to catch a few of them.

Buddy

[Cold]

We as anglers would get more fish while it would cost us less.

Strictly speaking...it'd cost the gov't agency less...idunno about AZ, but I doubt anyone in PA would see one red cent from those savings.

[Poke 'Em]

Those things are U.G.L.Y.

If they want to use them on fish farms, go right ahead, but I hope they never see a natural environment.