Glofish being seized in Western Canada:
http://www.canada.com/vancouver/thep...f-05c2ae361784
February 17, 2004
The world's first mutant pets, living products of genetic science, were slipped undetected into Canada late last month without our government's knowledge or consent.
The discovery of the transgenic creatures, created in the lab of Singapore scientist Zhiyuan Gong, is causing Environment Canada grave concern. So alarmed is this watchdog branch of the federal government, it has sent dozens of agents out across the country to seize and quarantine the genetically modified life forms.
Last week, 50 of the creatures were seized in B.C., and 400 in Alberta. The hunt continues for "hundreds" more believed lurking in pet stores throughout Canada.
"Holy man-sized marmots!" a reader in PoCo screams over her morning Province. "Get the kids in, Ricky! Lock the doors!"
"Teacup hippos with Avian flu!" gasps a reader in the West End. "The surgical masks. Hurry. HURRY!"
Fear not, folks. This is a lot of fuss -- and considerable expense -- over a tiny little fish about as large and dangerous as a guppy.
The frisky little Frankenfish was created in the lab for the benefit of science. By injecting a gene from coral into the eggs of a common freshwater aquarium fish called the zebra danio, biomedical researchers are able to "fluoresce" the animal in part or whole. Scientists can even "program" a zebra fish to "switch on" in the presence of certain environmental toxins.
You can imagine the reaction from those who would rather humankind left transgenic tinkering to the higher powers.
In January, an American firm, Yorktown Technologies -- no doubt inspired by the success of the lowly Sea Monkey -- began marketing the transgenic fish, which also glow in the dark. Without permits or clearance, it shipped batches of its high-tech GloFish to Canadian pet stores, including Superpet in Richmond, where a dozen of the critters now languish in a tank taped off by Environment Canada as a biohazard.
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