To evaluate the conclusion that switching to genetically modified salmon embryos would be unlikely to increase profits, we need to consider factors that could affect the balance between savings on vaccination/medication and the increased costs of the genetically modified embryos.
Let's assess the answer choices:
(A) Whether there are diseases that sometimes reduce fish yield, but against which commonly used medicines, vaccination, and genetic modification are equally ineffective
--> This option asks whether there are diseases that sometimes reduce fish yield but are unaffected by either medication, vaccination, or genetic modification. This would help determine if there are situations where the genetically modified embryos don’t provide any advantage in preventing disease, impacting the overall savings on healthcare. If the genetically modified embryos are not helpful against certain diseases, then the additional cost may be even less justified. This is relevant to understanding the profitability.
(B) Whether the price that fish harvesters receive for fish yield for salmon has remained steady over the past few years -->This option addresses whether the price that fish harvesters receive for salmon has remained steady over the past few years. This information is less directly relevant because the argument focuses on the comparison between the costs and savings of using genetically modified embryos, not on the selling price of salmon. This doesn’t help evaluate the conclusion about profitability.
(C) Whether the vaccinations and medication typically used on fish tend to be more expensive than those typically used on other fish types
-->This option considers whether the vaccinations and medications used for salmon are more expensive than those for other types of fish. The costs of vaccines for other types of fish are irrelevant because the focus is on the savings for salmon. This doesn’t help evaluate the conclusion.
(D) Whether most of the fish harvesters who tried the genetically modified salmon embryos last year used more vaccination and medication than was actually necessary
-->This option asks whether the fish harvesters who tried the genetically modified embryos used more vaccination and medication than was necessary. If they overused vaccines and medication, the true savings from the genetically modified embryos might be underestimated, which would impact the calculation of profitability. This is relevant to evaluating the conclusion.
(E) Whether it is the most profitable fish species for most fish harvesters who grow salmon
-->This option asks whether salmon is the most profitable species for fish harvesters. While the profitability of salmon in general is interesting, the argument is about the comparison between genetically modified and ordinary embryos, not the profitability of salmon as a species. This doesn’t help evaluate the conclusion.
Answer: (D) is the best choice because it directly addresses whether the true savings on vaccines and medications were accurately calculated, which is crucial for determining if switching to genetically modified embryos is likely to increase profits.