Re: Genes and wild fish (was [Killietalk] Re: Killietalk Digest,Vol 5, Issue 20)

[Wright Huntley <whuntley at verizon_net>]

Nick Ternes wrote:

> Selective breeding is still gene manipulation.

Certainly, just as the death penalty is actually retroactive birth 
control. :-)

> Andy Langione <DMB91 at msn_com> wrote:The guppies, bettas and
> swordtails you speak about are not genetically manipulated. They a
> sports of the original species. In the case of the parrot fish, I
> will agree they are really ugly. But they are actually culls that
> should have been destroyed. They're also a hybrid. The glofish have
> actual genes from other organisms implanted into their biological
> make-up. This is totally different than what you describe with the
> bettas etc. ----- Original Message ----- From: Stan Perkins To:
> killifish discussion list Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2003 11:01 PM 
> Subject: Re: [Killietalk] Re: Killietalk Digest, Vol 5, Issue 20

True, that actually is very slightly different than deliberately 
propagating a mutation. Waiting for a fluorescent gene to happen by 
accident might be too slow, so technology is just doing it a bit 
quicker. Be careful how excited you get about that, though.

My real concern is that the followers of Mary Shelley will bring all the 
peasants and their pitchforks to the ballot box when they could be at 
their most destructive, with regard to feeding the world, etc. [It 
already has happened in Europe -- shades of ancient Transyvania!]

Let's have accurate information, but go easy on the hysteria, for now. 
IMHO, you could do a lot more good by stopping the deliberate 
introduction of Damnbusia into native fishes waters. Most counties of CA 
are still pushing this abortion. When every academic journal came down 
on them for the destruction they were creating, they formed their own 
"refereed journals" so they could still confuse their boards of 
supervisors. To learn more, check out:

http://www.gambusia.net/

Wright

--
Wright Huntley -- 760 872-3995 -- Rt. 001 Box K36, Bishop CA 93514

    "You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that
for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing. If
you have been living in a world where outcomes are everything, you may
have a very hard time understanding bureaucratic thinking or
practices."
     -- T. Sowell



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