Anyone ever Eaten corn, Brocolli, mustard...? Owned a pet dog, or cat? taken penicillin? Yeah, genetic modification is ethical imo.
GloFish... Unethical or awesome???
- Thread starter BucketFishWife
- Start date
The ethical debate you seem to be thinking of is with injected fish maybe? A lot of people are very against injecting color into fish (as well they should be) but glofish are genetically modified and have therefore not gone through any cruel treatments. They're A-ok by most people. I had 9 at one point and even raised 2 broods of fry
I think that people are, for argument's sake, acting like line breeding for a specific trait is somehow the same as surgically implanting a jellyfish gene into a fish.
They aren't the same, and while I'd argue that neither is unethical, I'd say Glofish are in pretty poor taste compared to all that was listed above. I'm not saying that messing with corn doesn't have ramifications, but Glofish are tacky and promote the disposable fishkeeping mentality.
I'm sure many people on here keep them well, but you all know you're in the waaaay minority.
They aren't the same, and while I'd argue that neither is unethical, I'd say Glofish are in pretty poor taste compared to all that was listed above. I'm not saying that messing with corn doesn't have ramifications, but Glofish are tacky and promote the disposable fishkeeping mentality.
I'm sure many people on here keep them well, but you all know you're in the waaaay minority.
They are totally ethical and although tacky they are kind of fun. If I ever felt like making a really silly tank (plastic ships, colored gravel, ect.) I would choose them.
IMO there is a big difference between selectively breeding for specific traits (all living creatures do this in fact, selecting the strongest, smartest, or most beautiful mate to have offspring with), and genetic mannipulation in a test tube, intoducing DNA from a completely different species to get traits that are nowhere in the creatures genetic makeup and never will be. That said, it's still not cruel or ultimately harmful to the fish, and while there is an argument for it being unethical, it's not because it decreases the fishes quality of life in the way that tattooing does.
They already exist, and many will end up in those 3g glofish tanks in schools of 6. So I say, if an experienced fish keeper wants them, they should get them. The fish should live much longer and happier lives.
I don't like them. I think they are tacky. But so are the all of the plastic decorations that you see in all the pet stores. When people get into this hobby, most have clown puke gravel, and tacky decorations, and anymore probably some glo fish.People either evolve out of the plastic tanks, or give up on the hobby. Not everyone can appreciate the time and effort it takes to recreate the fish's natural habitat. For those of use who do, the people who like the plastic tanks, think we are crazy. So to each is own. There is nothing cruel about glo fish though.
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Banned because they could survive, and thrive in California waterways. Some of which are not polluted by tropical fish releases like some other Southern states.
