The Food and Drug Administration is determining the safety of a genetically modified salmon, for human consumption. Massachusetts-based AquaBounty Technologies has been working on a species of salmon injected with a gene from the Chinook salmon. The gene is a hormone that would accelerate the speed of the salmon's growth.

The FDA has already stated that there is no biological difference between the AquaBounty fish and other Atlantic salmon. The company has conducted research on the AquAdvantage salmon for over two decades, but many consumer advocates are concerned about introducing the fish into the market. The salmon will mature in 18 months, as opposed to the usual 3 years for normal salmon.

The aquaculture industry has been growing rapidly, amidst increased global demand for seafood. Farmed fishing has expanded, alongside the population of the world. It is undeniable that oceans and fisheries have been over-fished.
Both the long-term ecological implications, and impact on human health have yet to be determined.

The AquAdvantage salmon are all female and sterile. Therefore, the fish will not be able to mate and breed. The salmon will need to be raised in contained systems, pending FDA approval of the fish species. Still this does not mean that the salmon cannot escape and pose a threat to wild species, and contaminate other salmon with what has been called the the "trojan gene" effect.

Perhaps this is a call to reconsider food sources, rather than to create and rely on technology that may manipulate nature, in order to support the world's population. Growth hormones and antibiotics have already become a dietary staple for livestock and poultry, in the United States.

Should the AquAdvantage salmon be approved by the FDA, this would introduce a genetically engineered animal for human consumption. Many consumer organizations are calling for mandatory labeling of such products, so that the public can make a their own choices about food.