California Issues 14 Permits For Biotech Species; Nation's Only Such Law

Wildlife regulators have issued 14 permits for genetically engineered species in the year since California became the only state to require such licensing, according to a report being released this week. Their one rejection was a proposal to market a fluorescent zebra fish -- the nation's first transgenic pet, now sold under the trademarked name GloFish everywhere except in California. Even then, the Fish and Game Commission reversed its earlier outright rejection, voting in April to seek a new recommendation from experts with the Department of Fish and Game. The department decided Austin, Texas-based Yorktown Technologies would have to submit its Florida-grown biotech fish to a full environmental assessment before it could be considered for sale to the public. The company so far has declined to submit to a review the department estimates could cost from $50,000 to $100,000.