broall wrote:
Omega-3 fatty acid, found in cod liver, is found to be exceptionally valuable in curing skin cancer. Efforts are underway for introducing omega-3 cancer medicine in markets. The market size is estimated to be worth billions of dollars in revenues. Since this is a major scientific breakthrough in a vast, commercial market, it is inevitable that extensive cod fishing will lead the species to extinction.
Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?
A. There is no other effective treatment for skin cancer today.
B. Business of such medicines takes decades to be profitable.
C. Cod liver oil is already a profitable business but the species has continued to thrive.
D. Cod population is high in the Pacific Ocean where no fishing takes place.
E. The said medicine can also be produced from liver remains that are currently thrown away after extracting cod liver oil.
Source:
ExpertsGlobalI don't like any option as the answer here. If I have to pick one, I will pick (C) and not (E).
Omega 3 in cod's liver is found to cure cancer.
So omega 3 medicine are going to be introduced in the market (worth billions in revenue).
This is a major scientific breakthrough in a vast, commercial market.
Conclusion: Extensive cod fishing will make species extinct.
A. There is no other effective treatment for skin cancer today.
Irrelevant. We are looking at a vast commercial application of this omega 3 medicine. Other treatments may or may not be there.
B. Business of such medicines takes decades to be profitable.
Irrelevant. Timeline of profitability, and perhaps linked extinction, is irrelevant.
C. Cod liver oil is already a profitable business but the species has continued to thrive.
This indicates that a commercial market already exists but the species is resilient. Perhaps cod farming is done, we don't know.Though the obvious question is whether it will survive another vast commercial application. Hence, I am not happy with this option but I have nothing else.
D. Cod population is high in the Pacific Ocean where no fishing takes place.
Considering that we are planning to support a vast commercial market, we may start fishing in Pacific ocean and deplete the fish there too. Doesn't weaken our conclusion.
E. The said medicine can also be produced from liver remains that are currently thrown away after extracting cod liver oil.
Currently, cod liver oil is extracted from cod liver. The medicine can be made from what remains. Ok, does cod liver oil have a commercial market? Don't know. If yes, how big is the commercial market? Don't know. We are expecting the medicine to have a vast commercial market. Is the current cod fishing enough to support a vast commercial market? Don't know. It doesn't do much to our conclusion.
Actually, options (C) and (E) together help in suggesting that cod may not go extinct.