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Host: Americans have been eating genetically engineered corn and soybeans[大豆] for years. Now, scientists are
redoing fish. Farm-raised Atlantic salmon[鲑鱼，三文鱼] just might become the first genetically engineered animal to be eaten by people. This salmon’s got a new gene that makes it grow to maturity in 18 months, rather than three years. The Food and Drug Administration will have to decide whether it thinks the salmon is safe to eat and safe for the environment.
The company says that its genetically engineered salmon contains the same nutrients[营养成分], the same fatty acids[脂肪酸] and the same minerals as natural salmon. And it tastes the same, too.
But critics say that the FDA is moving too fast. It hasn’t gathered enough information, and it’s relied too
heavily on small studies. Fish is one of the top five foods people are most allergic[过敏的] to. The small
sample size for some tests makes it difficult to prove that the new product would not trigger[引发] a greater
allergic reaction in people already sensitive to salmon.
Another contentious[争论的] issue being debated is what will happen if these salmon escape from fish farms into the wild. AquaBounty says not to worry.
Ron Stotish (CEO): There is virtually[事实上] no possibility of escape and interaction with wild populations.
The fish eggs will be sterile[不育的], he says, and all will be female. Plus, they’ll grow them in tanks on land, not at sea.
Marine[海洋的] scientist Yonathan Zohar, of the
University of Maryland Baltimore County, supports the approval of genetically engineered salmon. He says it’s important to find ways of increasing production of farmed fish. Wild stocks of many fish, not just salmon, are becoming depleted[耗尽]. And there’s more demand for fish than the sea alone can provide.
On another front, the FDA plans to hear from the public about whether genetically engineered salmon should be labeled for consumers. One person worried about that is Jeff Black, owner of the BlackSalt Fish Market and Restaurant in Washington, D.C.
Black: It should absolutely be labeled, and…and the public should be allowed to make their own
decision. In the restaurant industry, we have what’s called “truth in menu.” And “truth in menu” requires me to tell the truth about the things I’m serving.
The FDA said if the flesh of the genetically
engineered salmon is essentially the same as the
traditionally raised salmon, a new label is not required.
主持人：转基因玉米和大豆出现在美国人的餐桌上已经很多年了。现在，科学家们准备改造鱼类。渔场养殖的大西洋鲑鱼可能成为第一种可供食用的转基因动物。这种鲑鱼体内含有新的基因，让它在十八个月内长大，而无需三年之久。（美国）食品及药物管理局将决定这种鲑鱼是否可以放心食用，并且不会对环境造成危害。
研发公司指出，这种转基因鲑鱼含有与天然鲑鱼完全相同的营养成分、脂肪酸和矿物质，而且味道一模一样。
然而，评论认为药监局此举未免操之过急，他们没有收集足够的信息，并且过于依赖小型研究的数据。鱼类是最容易引起过敏反应的五大食物之一。一些测试只采用了小分量的样品，很难证明这种新产品不会使那些本身就对鲑鱼敏感的人产生更严重的过敏反应。
另一个引起争论的问题是，假如这些鲑鱼从养鱼场逃到野外会产生什么影响。（美国）“水恩惠”公司则说这个问题无需多虑。
罗恩·斯托蒂什(公司首席执行官)：实际上并不存在产品外逃并影响野生鱼类的
问题。
他说，这些鱼卵都是无精卵，并且全部是雌性。另外，其公司将在陆上水箱进行养殖，而不是海水养殖。
美国马里兰州大学（巴尔的摩县校区）的海洋学家约纳森·祖海尔很支持转基因鲑鱼这一做法。他说，寻找方法让人工养殖鱼类增加产量非常重要。不仅仅是鲑鱼，许多鱼类的野生数量都在慢慢枯竭。人们对鱼类的需求量远远超过了海洋的供应量。
另一方面，药监局打算先听取公众意见，再决定转基因鲑鱼是否应该贴上标签，向消费者明示。华盛顿黑盐渔场饭店的老板杰夫·布莱克对此忧心忡忡。
布莱克：绝对应该贴上标签，并且……大众应该拥有选择权。在餐饮业，我们把这称为“菜单实情”。“菜单实情”要求我对自己提供的产品进行如实反映。
药监局指出，如果转基因鲑鱼的肉质与传统的养殖鲑鱼完全相同，就不必贴上新标签。
redoing fish. Farm-raised Atlantic salmon[鲑鱼，三文鱼] just might become the first genetically engineered animal to be eaten by people. This salmon’s got a new gene that makes it grow to maturity in 18 months, rather than three years. The Food and Drug Administration will have to decide whether it thinks the salmon is safe to eat and safe for the environment.
The company says that its genetically engineered salmon contains the same nutrients[营养成分], the same fatty acids[脂肪酸] and the same minerals as natural salmon. And it tastes the same, too.
But critics say that the FDA is moving too fast. It hasn’t gathered enough information, and it’s relied too
heavily on small studies. Fish is one of the top five foods people are most allergic[过敏的] to. The small
sample size for some tests makes it difficult to prove that the new product would not trigger[引发] a greater
allergic reaction in people already sensitive to salmon.
Another contentious[争论的] issue being debated is what will happen if these salmon escape from fish farms into the wild. AquaBounty says not to worry.
Ron Stotish (CEO): There is virtually[事实上] no possibility of escape and interaction with wild populations.
The fish eggs will be sterile[不育的], he says, and all will be female. Plus, they’ll grow them in tanks on land, not at sea.
Marine[海洋的] scientist Yonathan Zohar, of the
University of Maryland Baltimore County, supports the approval of genetically engineered salmon. He says it’s important to find ways of increasing production of farmed fish. Wild stocks of many fish, not just salmon, are becoming depleted[耗尽]. And there’s more demand for fish than the sea alone can provide.
On another front, the FDA plans to hear from the public about whether genetically engineered salmon should be labeled for consumers. One person worried about that is Jeff Black, owner of the BlackSalt Fish Market and Restaurant in Washington, D.C.
Black: It should absolutely be labeled, and…and the public should be allowed to make their own
decision. In the restaurant industry, we have what’s called “truth in menu.” And “truth in menu” requires me to tell the truth about the things I’m serving.
The FDA said if the flesh of the genetically
engineered salmon is essentially the same as the
traditionally raised salmon, a new label is not required.
主持人：转基因玉米和大豆出现在美国人的餐桌上已经很多年了。现在，科学家们准备改造鱼类。渔场养殖的大西洋鲑鱼可能成为第一种可供食用的转基因动物。这种鲑鱼体内含有新的基因，让它在十八个月内长大，而无需三年之久。（美国）食品及药物管理局将决定这种鲑鱼是否可以放心食用，并且不会对环境造成危害。
研发公司指出，这种转基因鲑鱼含有与天然鲑鱼完全相同的营养成分、脂肪酸和矿物质，而且味道一模一样。
然而，评论认为药监局此举未免操之过急，他们没有收集足够的信息，并且过于依赖小型研究的数据。鱼类是最容易引起过敏反应的五大食物之一。一些测试只采用了小分量的样品，很难证明这种新产品不会使那些本身就对鲑鱼敏感的人产生更严重的过敏反应。
另一个引起争论的问题是，假如这些鲑鱼从养鱼场逃到野外会产生什么影响。（美国）“水恩惠”公司则说这个问题无需多虑。
罗恩·斯托蒂什(公司首席执行官)：实际上并不存在产品外逃并影响野生鱼类的
问题。
他说，这些鱼卵都是无精卵，并且全部是雌性。另外，其公司将在陆上水箱进行养殖，而不是海水养殖。
美国马里兰州大学（巴尔的摩县校区）的海洋学家约纳森·祖海尔很支持转基因鲑鱼这一做法。他说，寻找方法让人工养殖鱼类增加产量非常重要。不仅仅是鲑鱼，许多鱼类的野生数量都在慢慢枯竭。人们对鱼类的需求量远远超过了海洋的供应量。
另一方面，药监局打算先听取公众意见，再决定转基因鲑鱼是否应该贴上标签，向消费者明示。华盛顿黑盐渔场饭店的老板杰夫·布莱克对此忧心忡忡。
布莱克：绝对应该贴上标签，并且……大众应该拥有选择权。在餐饮业，我们把这称为“菜单实情”。“菜单实情”要求我对自己提供的产品进行如实反映。
药监局指出，如果转基因鲑鱼的肉质与传统的养殖鲑鱼完全相同，就不必贴上新标签。