The potential risks of genetically modified fish escaping into the wild have been highlighted in a new study. The fish, which have been engineered with extra genes to make them grow more quickly, pass on this trait to the hybrid offspring. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22694239  The transgenic salmon are currently being assessed by the US authorities, and could be the first GM animals to be approved for human consumption. When the fish were placed in a mocked-up stream inside the laboratory, the researchers found that the hybrids were out-competing both the genetically modified salmon and wild salmon, significantly stunting their growth. The researchers said this study highlighted the ecological consequences should genetically modified fish get into the wild. The US Food and Drug Administration is currently in the final stages of considering whether the transgenic salmon can go on sale.