HISTORY OF GENETIC ENGINEERING IN AQUACULTURE

The first significant reports on the application of genetic engineering in animals appeared in the 1980s. In 1980, the description of techniques for creation of transgenic mice by microinjection DNA revolutionized the field of genetic engineering by providing a practical, if labor intensive, method for delivery of specific, heterologous DNA into the genome.  Fish and shellfish make appealing targets for genetic manipulation as they produce large numbers of eggs that are typically easily manipulated, and aquaculture has continually been a rapidly growing sector of food production with need for increased production efficiency. Accordingly, successful creation of transgenic lines has been reported for over 40 species of finfish and shellfish.   The first reports of transgenic finfish appeared in 1984 and 1985, using microinjection of DNA into the cytoplasm of fertilized eggs.  The first transgenic shellfish were reported in the mid-1990s.  In the ensuing decades, advances in methods for DNA delivery, control of transgene expression, and precise engineering of the genome have been substantial.  Regulatory uncertainty remains an issue and commercial application of genetic engineering in aquaculture has not yet occurred.