In addition to below, The FDA has not, nor will they, address the long term environmental and legal issues. Just as with GMO crops, once the gene is out the owners of the patent own the fish.

The process used by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review genetically modified (GM) salmon presents "an incomplete picture" of the risks and benefits of what could be the first GM animal food approved for human consumption, according to a recent Duke University study.

The FDA'S preliminary conclusions, announced in September, found that the GM salmon were as safe to eat as any other salmon. A comment period on whether the FDA can require GM salmon to be labeled as GM expired on Monday, putting the agency one step closer to a final decision.

The Duke Study, published in the latest issue of Science magazine, echoes the concerns of anti-GM activists, who argue in public hearings that the FDA has not considered enough data on the potential health and environmental consequences of farming GM salmon.

"Instead of focusing on the safety of a food taken one portion at a time, or whether it was produced through genetic modifications or through classic breeding, a more useful approach would be to evaluate whether society is better off overall with the new product on the market than without it," said Jonathan B. Wiener, one of the study's co-authors.

Members of Congress have also expressed concern about the review process, and last week, senators from Alaska introduced legislation that would ban GM salmon if the FDA approves the fish.