In the remote highlands of Panama, in tanks protected by netting, barbed wire and guard dogs, swim the world's most expensive and scrutinized fish. These swift-growing salmon have been at the centre of a 18-year, US$60-million battle to bring the first genetically modified (GM) animal to US dinner tables - a struggle that may be nearing its end. Last week marked the end of the public's opportunity to weigh in on a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) draft assessment of the salmon. Genetically engineered to grow twice as fast as their unaltered brethren, the fish pose no significant environmental threat to the United States when grown in landlocked tanks, says the FDA. The agency needs only to finalize that assessment before deciding whether to approve the fish for human consumption. The number of opportunities for a surprise delay - a recurring theme in the history of these salmon - is dwindling (see Against the current').
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