The threats and benefits of GM fish.

If there ever was a major improvement in human life in the last millennium, it may well have been the green revolution of the twentieth century. The massive use of fertilizers, pesticides and improved seeds and livestock brought an enormous increase in agricultural production, more than enough to feed the population in the developed regions of the world such as Europe and North America. For the people on these continents, famine and hunger almost ceased to exist, thanks to the application of science and technology to food production. But all of these developments have benefited only agriculture. Fish, an important protein source for the majority of people on the planet, is still primarily gathered from the wild, with serious consequences. Heavy investments into fishing fleets and technology, and ever-increasing yields, put the ocean’s fisheries under increasing stress. Many fishing grounds are already overfished to the point that their future viability is threatened. Fish consumption increased by 31% from 1990 to 1997 but the supply from marine fisheries grew by only 9% (FAO, 1999). And the unfettered growth of the human population will put them under even more stress. Meeting the increasing demand for fish while protecting marine fish supplies can only be achieved by applying experience from the agricultural revolution to increase the contribution of aquaculture (Tidwell & Allan, 2001). In fact, worldwide production of farmed fish is now at about 30% of global fish production and is expected to reach 50% in 2030 (FAO, 2000), but the expansion of aquaculture has met with growing resistance due to environmental concerns. And although there is much room for improvement (Tidwell & Allan, 2001), it will not be enough.