Researchers create GM trout with "six-pack abs"

In my research and writing, I have not broached the subject of using genetically modified fish in farms, so I don't feel prepared to write about the subject. But I couldn't help posting this video about the GM fish with "six-pack abs" developed at the University of Rhode Island, and its apparent benefits to fish farming.

Researchers at URI have developed rainbow trout with 15% to 20% more muscle mass than normal trout, which if put on a global scale could have a significant impact in the amount of flesh harvested. According to URI, fish farms in the United States and Europe raise roughly 500,000 metric tons of rainbow trout each year. In the United States, those farms are concentrated in Idaho, New York, Pennsylvania and California and produce roughly $80 million worth of trout annually. By my calculations, GM trout would boost the harvest to as much as 600,000 metric tons without increasing the number of fish or the amount of feed. Of course, there's plenty of debate to be had about the use of genetically modified livestock to feed people, but in a purely quantifiable sense, the idea would seem to be a boon for fish farmers.

"If we were able to get these fish to the point where they would be accepted and could be grown, it has tremendous implications in increasing the mass of fish and increasing the profitability of fish culture," says Terry Bradley, the URI professor of fisheries and aquaculture that is leading the project.

We'd also have to get to a point where we could eat such ugly suckers.

Source: The University of Rhode Island