The recent introduction of genetically engineered fluorescent fish to the American public--and the lack of regulations covering them--makes some people worry what other manmade critters might follow.

In a development that is likely to inspire both fascination and alarm, a Texas company said yesterday that it would soon start selling a genetically engineered aquarium fish that glows in the dark.

A genetic trick known as gene silencing could help wipe out serious farm pests such as the Mediterranean fruit fly but also has applications for controlling the breeding of genetically modified organisms such as "super salmon".

The UK government has placed restrictions on farming genetically-modified fish in rivers or the sea because the fish might escape into the environment with unforeseeable consequences.

Efforts to clone cows and other livestock pose few known risks to consumers, but scientists are increasingly concerned that genetically engineered fish and insects could escape into the wild, causing ecological havoc.

For the first time, biologists are planning to genetically modify an invasive species with the express purpose of killing it off. The target is a European species of carp that has taken over many Australian rivers and streams.

(Photo: Tim Martin/NPL)
Researchers are planning to use gene technology to stop the fish producing female offspring, forcing the population to crash.

The author, chief executive of a biotechnology trade organization, argues against proposed regulations for the development and release of genetically engineered fish.

A research team at Auburn University is busy mapping DNA, hoping to give Alabama fish farmers an economic boost by showing the way to produce catfish that are bigger, healthier and easier to catch.

Genetically modified farmed-fish will feed the world by the year 2025 as global catches decline, predicts a US scientist. GM fish farms will be the only way to supply enough seafood amid the continuing collapse of commercial marine fisheries, believes Professor Yonathan Zohar, of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute.