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?

    轉基因魚注定在某個時候要闖入超市的食品盒。不幸的是，為潛在的利益而冒轉基因魚的風險可能是不值得的。這裏講述其原因。

    不管你喜不喜歡
，這種情況正在到來。轉基因魚有望成為未來的食品供應的一個重要組成部分。為什麼呢？ 因yin為wei它ta們men的de成cheng長chang速su度du達da到dao非fei轉zhuan基ji因yin魚yu的de兩liang倍bei，它ta們men能neng夠gou更geng有you效xiao地di利li用yong食shi物wu，這zhe意yi味wei著zhe喂wei養yang它ta們men花hua更geng少shao的de費fei用yong。魚yu場chang主zhu難nan道dao不bu會hui喜xi歡huan這zhe樣yang嗎ma？ 不幸的是
，瑞典 Gotherberg 大學的一項新的報告提出，轉基因魚對人類的健康可能是一個重大的威脅。

    毒素問題

    根gen據ju這zhe份fen報bao告gao
，轉zhuan基ji因yin魚yu具ju有you插cha入ru的de基ji因yin
，不bu僅jin可ke以yi幫bang助zhu它ta們men更geng快kuai地di成cheng長chang並bing且qie抵di抗kang感gan染ran，而er且qie也ye使shi它ta們men更geng能neng抵di抗kang毒du素su。這zhe意yi味wei著zhe它ta們men可ke能neng潛qian在zai地di積ji累lei更geng高gao數shu量liang級ji的de有you害hai物wu質zhi
，會hui將jiang人ren們men已yi經jing很hen關guan注zhu的de在zai魚yu身shen上shang的de毒du物wu例li如ru聚ju氯lv聯lian苯ben
、二惡英以及水銀傳給食用它們的人類。這可能引起更高層次的健康關注，特別是對於對食源性毒素可能尤其敏感的兒童和孕婦。

    如果它們逃掉了呢？

    yedanxinruguozhuanjiyinyutaodaoyewaikenengduihuanjingdeyingxiang。zhexiezhuanjiyinyu，youyutamennenggougengyouxiaodeliyongyingyangyijitamenduiyuqitayuleikenengrongyiganrandebinghaijuyougenggaodedikangnengli，yuyeshengyuxiangbikenenghuiyoumingxiandeyoushi。

    如ru果guo轉zhuan基ji因yin魚yu逃tao到dao野ye外wai
，他ta們men可ke以yi自zi由you地di與yu其qi它ta非fei轉zhuan基ji因yin的de魚yu進jin行xing繁fan殖zhi，可ke能neng創chuang造zao出chu具ju有you獨du特te基ji因yin構gou成cheng的de以yi及ji被bei人ren吃chi掉diao時shi健jian康kang影ying響xiang未wei知zhi的de魚yu。加jia上shang還hai有you轉zhuan基ji因yin魚yu逃tao到dao世shi界jie將jiang會hui打da亂luan自zi然ran生sheng態tai係xi統tong的de擔dan心xin。就jiu像xiang打da開kai潘pan朵duo拉la的de盒he子zi那na樣yang
，它ta會hui是shi一yi種zhong不bu可ke逆ni轉zhuan的de過guo程cheng，可ke能neng永yong遠yuan改gai變bian世shi界jie微wei妙miao的de生sheng態tai平ping衡heng。

    一個可能的解決方案

？

    盡管事實上轉基因魚是養殖而且不允許進入野外的
，但是仍然有魚逃離漁場。在歐洲，據估計每年有 200 萬wan條tiao魚yu逃tao離li漁yu場chang。作zuo為wei解jie決jue此ci問wen題ti的de一yi種zhong方fang法fa，大da家jia都dou說shuo隻zhi使shi用yong不bu育yu的de轉zhuan基ji因yin魚yu，如ru果guo跑pao掉diao，它ta們men不bu能neng與yu野ye生sheng魚yu類lei繁fan殖zhi。但dan是shi培pei育yu不bu育yu轉zhuan基ji因yin魚yu的de技ji術shu還hai處chu於yu初chu級ji階jie段duan
，還hai有you待dai完wan善shan。

    底線？

    轉基因魚比非轉基因養殖魚呈現更多的健康問題--已知魚類是含有毒素較高的，並且可能對人類造成健康風險；而er轉zhuan基ji因yin魚yu可ke以yi潛qian在zai地di把ba這zhe些xie毒du素su積ji累lei到dao更geng高gao的de數shu量liang。與yu此ci同tong時shi，如ru果guo它ta們men逃tao到dao野ye外wai，也ye可ke能neng會hui幹gan擾rao自zi然ran生sheng態tai係xi統tong。值zhi得de為wei可ke能neng的de好hao處chu冒mao這zhe種zhong風feng險xian嗎ma
？