00 CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 28(FSH) 01 Opposing the United States Food and Drug Administration's approval of AquaBounty 02 AquAdvantage genetically engineered salmon; urging the United States Congress to 03 enact legislation that requires prominently labeling genetically engineered products with 04 the words "Genetically Modified" on the product's packaging; and supporting the 05 efforts of the state's congressional delegation to delay the confirmation of the new 06 commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration until the United 07 States Food and Drug Administration agrees to require labeling for genetically 08 engineered salmon. 09 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 10 WHEREAS, on November 19, 2015, the United States Food and Drug Administration 11 approved AquaBounty AquAdvantage genetically engineered salmon as safe for human 12 consumption; and 13 WHEREAS the approval is the first time in history that the United States Food and 14 Drug Administration has approved a genetically engineered animal for human consumption; 01 and 02 WHEREAS a large majority of state residents oppose the approval of genetically 03 engineered salmon by the United States Food and Drug Administration; and 04 WHEREAS more than 2,000,000 Americans opposed the United States Food and 05 Drug Administration's approval of genetically engineered salmon in the largest number of 06 comments the United States Food and Drug Administration has ever received on an action; 07 and 08 WHEREAS more than 65 retailers, including Costco, Safeway, and Target, have 09 announced that they have no plans to sell genetically modified salmon; and 10 WHEREAS more than 40 members of the United States Congress have expressed 11 opposition to the approval of AquaBounty AquAdvantage genetically engineered salmon; and 12 WHEREAS the state has bountiful fisheries that provide wild, natural, and sustainable 13 seafood; and 14 WHEREAS the accidental release of transgenic fish into the wild could devastate 15 native fish populations and ecosystems; and 16 WHEREAS a May 2013 McGill University research report detailed findings 17 demonstrating interbreeding between genetically modified salmon and brown trout could 18 occur, suggesting that the potential for similar hybridization between other closely related 19 species could pose risks for wild populations, including wild salmon; and 20 WHEREAS the research demonstrated that transgenic hybrid salmon can outcompete 21 with both wild salmon and genetically modified salmon, making hybridization relevant to risk 22 assessments; and 23 WHEREAS, each year, thousands of salmon escape from open water net pens into the 24 Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, demonstrating that escapement is a serious threat to wild fish 25 populations; and 26 WHEREAS the AquaBounty facility on Prince Edward Island is producing 27 genetically engineered fish eggs and sits adjacent to a water body that is directly connected to 28 the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the Atlantic Ocean; and 29 WHEREAS the proximity of the AquaBounty facility to the Saint Lawrence Seaway 30 and the Atlantic Ocean puts wild Atlantic salmon, which are listed under the Endangered 31 Species Act, at risk; and 01 WHEREAS the long-term human health effects of consuming genetically engineered 02 salmon are unknown; 03 WHEREAS the state's congressional delegation has delayed the confirmation of the 04 new commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration until the United States 05 Food and Drug Administration agrees to require labeling for genetically engineered salmon; 06 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature opposes the United States Food 07 and Drug Administration's approval of AquaBounty AquAdvantage genetically engineered 08 salmon; and be it 09 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States 10 Congress to enact legislation that requires prominently labeling genetically engineered 11 products, including AquaBounty AquAdvantage genetically engineered salmon, with the 12 words "Genetically Modified" on the product's packaging, as required by state law; and be it 13 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature fully supports the efforts 14 of the state's congressional delegation to delay the confirmation of the new commissioner of 15 the United States Food and Drug Administration until the United States Food and Drug 16 Administration agrees to require labeling for genetically engineered salmon. 17 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of 18 the United States; the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Vice-President of the United States and 19 President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Tom Vilsack, United States Secretary of 20 Agriculture; Stephen Ostroff, M.D., Acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs; and the 21 Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the 22 Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.