P o s s i b l e F u t u r e A d v a n ta g e sDAlthough much has been written about the risks thought to be associated with transgenic aquaculture, it is important to note the potential it offers researchers in addressing some important food safety and environmental concerns. For instance, what if biotechnology could be used to reduce the amount of mercury or other toxic compounds that some fish accumulate from their environment The same line of thinking could also be applied to concerns about allergies. What if researchers could identify and remove the various proteins that make shellfish intolerable for some consumers and produce a line of shrimp or crab those individuals could consume In fact, scientists at Tulane University have already identified the major allergens in shrimp that cause allergic reactions in some people, and begun to use genetic engineering to alter proteins so shrimp no longer induce such reactions. Genetic engineering could also have significant advantages for the environment. What if scientists could develop a transgenic fish able to detect pollutants or mutagens in the aquatic environment, becoming darker upon exposure and alerting humans to water quality problems Some researchers in Singapore are looking at using transgenic zebra fish for this purpose. These scenarios, on the brink of becoming realities, and others that have yet to be conceived, make readily apparent the potential benefits of applying biotechnology to aquaculture. As regulators, policymakers, and the public consider the many issues presented by transgenic fish, they must be careful not to obscure benefits not readily apparent in the first generation of products, but may emerge once the technology has had a chance to proliferate.< 34
