More than two years ago, I questioned the legitimacy of a 43.6 pound, world-record rainbow trout caught at Lake Diefenbaker after learning that it was an escapee from a fish farm – a rainbow trout genetically engineered to grow to the size of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier.
That post stirred up almost 50 comments, and now that a 48 pound rainbow was caught from the same lake by the brother of the original record holder, I expect there to be a lot more questions about the legitimacy of genetically engineered fish, at least as they pertain to records.
First, from ESPN:
Diefenbaker’s rainbow production is the result of commercially raised sterile rainbows (triploids) escaping local growing pens in 2000, when roughly a half-million fish entered the lake through a damaged net at CanGro Fish Farm.
Because they’re genetically engineered to have three sets of chromosomes instead of two, their growth rate is substantially higher than a diploid rainbow because all of their living energy goes into feeding, with no physical stressors related to spawning.
Biologists estimate that Lake Diefenbaker’s trout could survive for upwards of 20 years, but the lake is almost certainly on the downward side of a steep growth curve that started with the original half-million escapees. That said, Sean Konrad doesn’t discount the possibility of a 50-pounder.
The IGFA is now put in the position of recognizing a world record fish that basically couldn’t occur in the wild, yet was caught by “sporting” means.
While that seems like the classic no-win situation for the IGFA (rock, meet hard place), sticking their collective heads up their asses and pretending there’s no issue probably isn’t going to play in the long run – as more genetically engineered fish render records meaningless.
Maybe they could show a few guts and – you know – just say no.
If a runner set a new world record in the marathon, but was found guilty of EPO doping in the drug test, he’d be stripped of the record.
Yet the IGFA seems willing to hand world records over to anyone who can produce a Frankenfish.
In truth, this is probably all a good thing. With any luck, every externally validated trophy hound on the planet will soon start churning out record-setting fish in their swimming pools, rendering the concept of “world record fish” a pointless one.
After that’s happened, those who fish simply because they love the sport should have more water to themselves – all the trophy hunters will be home fiddling with their do-it-yourself genetics kits.
See you at the taxidermist, Tom Chandler.
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