Nowadays, a considerable number of fishing grounds are already depleted to such an extent that their future viability is at risk. The best way to increase farms’ yield is to create genetically modified fish that will be safe for people, the environment, and other species. One of the first GM fish that seem appropriate and are considered for commercial farming is AquaAdvantage Salmon – growth hormone transgenic Atlantic salmon. However, there are still some genetic and ecological concerns about whether they can enter the wild waters, participate in spawning events, and interact with wild and non-transgenic fish.
The discussed article adds significant value in terms of the topic. It provides the first empirical data reports concerning “the breeding performance of GH transgenic Atlantic salmon males, including that of an alternative male reproductive phenotype, in pair‐wise competitive trials within a naturalized stream mesocosm” (Moreau et al., 2011, p. 737). The results described by the authors are rather valuable for scientific society. The article’s findings showed that in terms of spawn participation, quivering frequency, and nest fidelity, captively reared transgenic counterparts were outperformed by wild anadromous males (Moreau et al., 2011). Similarly, regarding spawn participation and nest fidelity and notwithstanding less aggression, “captively reared non-transgenic mature parr were superior competitors to their transgenic counterparts” (Moreau et al., 2011, p. 738). Both domesticated non-transgenic and transgenic males appeared to be able to participate in natural spawning events. Therefore, there is a potential that they bring their genes into subsequent generations.
For the article, the authors used the method of collecting data by conducting two separate experiments. First, they observed captively reared and anadromous transgenic males and their breeding participation and behavior alone with wild females and in competitive trials with wild males (Moreau et al., 2011). Second, they analyzed transgenic and non-transgenic captively reared precocial parr and their reproductive success, performance, and breeding behavior (Moreau et al., 2011). The chosen methodology is the article’s primary strength; no weaknesses were detected. To add legitimacy to this study, it is necessary to mention that AquaAdvantage Salmon is indeed the first genetically engineered fish in the U.S. that became approved for human consumption, as was mentioned at the beginning of the article.