A coalition of lawmakers, environmentalists, and fishers are angling to ban genetically modified (GM) fish from California. One proposed ban would prevent live transgenic fish from entering the state; another plan would require special labeling for GM fish sold for consumption in California stores. One other state, Maryland, has restricted genetically altered fish, and federal rules to protect the endangered Atlantic salmon block such fish from Maine. Environmentalists worry that GM fish could escape from pens and breed with their wild counterparts, to the detriment of the gene pool of the species. Proponents of genetic modification see a potential profit in transgenic species because fish farmers could get bigger fish to market for less money. Under the proposed California legislation, anyone convicted of owning transgenic fish or planting them in state waters could be fined up to $50,000.
