04/24/2002 03:38 PM Senate RES

                     HJR 45-SALMON LABELING                                                                                 
                                                                                                                              
CHAIRMAN  JOHN TORGERSON  called  the Senate  Resources  Committee                                                            
meeting to  order at 3:38 p.m. and  announced HJR 45 to  be up for                                                              
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BETH KERTTULA,  sponsor of  HJR 45,  said she  was                                                              
going to let  her intern, Terra Briner, comment  on the resolution                                                              
as she had another commitment.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. TERRA  BRINER, intern  for Representative Kerttula,  explained                                                              
that HJR 45 supports  the actions of Congress  to require labeling                                                              
for farmed  and wild salmon.  A few months  ago our  U.S. senators                                                              
highlighted the need for labeling  as a tool to both give American                                                              
consumers  the right to  know what's  in their  food and  where it                                                              
came from and to  give the Alaska salmon industry  the leg up that                                                              
it needs.  Congress introduced  an amendment to  the farm  bill to                                                              
require such labeling and HJR 45 supports that action.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  TAYLOR   asked  why  Representative  Kerttula   chose  to                                                              
introduce a  resolution instead  of a  bill applicable  to various                                                              
retail trades and other operators in Alaska.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. BRINER  replied  that she would  have done  that, but  Senator                                                              
Ward beat  her to the  idea and his  bill has already  been signed                                                              
into law.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS. SUE ASPELUND, Cordova Fishermen United, supported HJR 45.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  TAYLOR  moved   to  pass  HJR  45  from   committee  with                                                              
individual recommendations and the  accompanying zero fiscal note.                                                              
There were no objections and it was so ordered.