In 2003, Yorktown Technologies put the GloFish, a genetically modified (GM) version of the zebra fish, on the pet market. Because of the pet's popularity, Yorktown introduced a new GM fish in February 2012 called the Electric Green Tetra Fish, a version of the black tetra fish that turns neon into black light.
When fish owners get tired of their fish or can no longer care for them, they often release them into wild waterways. The Electric Green Tetra Fish can survive in U.S. waterways, especially in Southern Florida. This raises concern among scientists, who fear that the GM fish will interbreed with native fish and spread the fluorescent gene in the wild.
Fish are naturally interesting to watch, and there is no need to introduce new genes that may contaminate the wild gene pool. Please sign the petition to stop the sales of GM fish in pet stores!
To: United States Pet Stores and State Veterinarians,
We are concerned with the growing sales of genetically modified (GM) fish in the U.S. pet market.
In 2003, Yorktown Technologies put the GloFish, a GM version of the zebra fish, on the market. Because of the pet's popularity, Yorktown introduced a new GM fish in February 2012 called the Electric Green Tetra Fish, a version of the black tetra fish that turns neon into black light.
When fish owners get tired of their fish or can no longer care for them, they often release them into wild waterways. The Electric Green Tetra Fish can survive in U.S. waterways, especially in Southern Florida. This raises concern among scientists, who fear that the GM fish will interbreed with native fish and spread the fluorescent gene in the wild.
Fish are naturally interesting to watch, and there is no need to introduce new genes that may contaminate the wild gene pool. We urge you to take action to stop the sales of GM fish in U.S. pet stores!
