In October and November 2021, two genome-edited fishes were approved for commercial sale in Japan.
Aiming to revitalize Japanese aquaculture, Kyoto-based start-up Regional Fish Co. Ltd. started selling genome-edited “Madai” red sea bream and “22-seiki fugu” tiger puffer.
Both fishes were genome-edited to grow bigger than their conventional counterparts.
The genome-edited fish was developed using CRISPR gene editing technology to knock out a protein (myostatin) that suppresses muscle growth.
The red sea bream lacking the myostatin gene has an edible part 1.2 times to 1.6 times than the conventional fish, with an improved feed utilization efficiency by about 14 percent.
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The popular puffer fish known as “torafugu” was edited to increase the speed of growth.
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Out of the torafugu’s 400 million genes, the scientists removed four leptin receptor genes that control appetite, boosting their appetite and weight gain.
The genome-edited puffer fish grows faster and are 1.9 times heavier than the conventional puffers in the same farming period.
This will allow production and shipping in shorter periods than conventional tiger puffers which require more than two years to grow.
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These approvals will also pave the way for the acceptance of future products that Japanese scientists are currently working on—including gene-edited potatoes, rice and chicken.
