02/23/2005 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES

                SB  25-GENETICALLY MODIFIED FISH                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER announced SB 25 to be up for consideration.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON said  Senator Gary Stevens is co-sponsor  of SB 25.                                                               
It requires  that genetically modified finfish  or shellfish sold                                                               
in Alaska be identified on the label  if it is sold at the retail                                                               
level.  Right now  only an  aquarium fish  has been  approved for                                                               
sale at the retail level, but  the FDA has an application pending                                                               
from a US/Canadian firm that  wants to produce GM Atlantic salmon                                                               
for human  consumption and to  sell the  eggs from them  to other                                                               
fish farmers around  the world. He said  that other jurisdictions                                                               
around the  world will be making  decisions on whether or  not to                                                               
allow GM fish and it won't  be economic to deny it. Alaskans will                                                               
be able to  make informed purchase decisions at  the retail level                                                               
and  the  required  labeling  will  allow  marketers  of  Alaskan                                                               
seafood products to  draw an even brighter line  between wild and                                                               
natural  Alaska fish  and industrially  produced  fish for  human                                                               
consumption.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:36:30 PM                                                                                                                    
DENNIS KELSO,  University of California Santa  Cruz, supported SB
  and  said his  research  focuses  on  the effects  of  global                                                               
production  of  GM  fish on  Alaska's  wild  salmon.  Genetically                                                               
modified fish  will be  the most active  area for  development of                                                               
the  GM technology.  He thought  that this  is a  consumer choice                                                               
bill that  equips Alaskan  consumers with  the knowledge  of what                                                               
kind  of  seafood  and  production practice  they  can  chose  to                                                               
support.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:38:54 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  STEDMAN said  SB 25  has  the unanimous  support of  the                                                               
Salmon Industry Task Force.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:39:57 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DYSON  moved to pass  SB 25 from committee  with attached                                                               
fiscal  note  and  individual   recommendations.  There  were  no                                                               
objections and it was so ordered.