02/12/2013 10:00 AM House FISHERIES

           HJR 5-OPPOSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:07:51 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE JOINT  RESOLUTION NO.  5, Opposing  the United  States Food                                                               
and  Drug   Administration's  preliminary  finding   relating  to                                                               
genetically  engineered  salmon;  urging further  examination  of                                                               
genetically engineered salmon;  opposing AquaBounty's petition to                                                               
produce   genetically  engineered   salmon;  and   proposing,  if                                                               
AquaBounty's  petition is  approved, that  its product  should be                                                               
labeled as "genetically modified."                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
10:08:20 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GERAN  TARR, Alaska State  Legislature, introduced                                                               
HJR 5  and said  the application for  the resolution  has existed                                                               
for  a  number  of  years;   however,  the  U.S.  Food  and  Drug                                                               
Administration  (FDA) is  now in  the final  stages of  approval.                                                               
She stressed the urgency for this resolution, stating:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     It's the  first time  that the  FDA would  approve, for                                                                    
     human  consumption,  a  genetically  modified  organism                                                                    
     (GMO).   So that  really draws  a line  in the  sand in                                                                    
     terms of application of this technology.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TARR  directed attention  to the  committee packet                                                               
and  the pictures  provided of  the two  fish species  from which                                                               
deoxyribonucleic  acid (DNA)  is  used  for genetically  modified                                                               
organism (GMO)  purposes.   One is  the ocean  pout, an  eel like                                                               
fish with a characteristic of  continual growth; and the other is                                                               
Chinook  salmon,  known for  its  size  and  rapid growth.    The                                                               
combined DNA  from these  two fish, into  the genetic  make-up of                                                               
the  Atlantic  salmon, produces  what  is  often referred  to  as                                                               
Frankenfish;  genetically engineered  to produce  growth hormones                                                               
for its  entire life span,  and to grow  to maturity in  half the                                                               
time of wild salmon.  In  December the FDA announced a finding of                                                               
no significant impact  (FONSI) decision and opened  the topic for                                                               
public  comment, which  are being  accepted until  2/25/13.   The                                                               
resolution is  being introduced in conjunction  with oppositional                                                               
comments that  the FDA will  be receiving from  Alaska's governor                                                               
and congressional delegation.  The  concerns for this GMO product                                                               
include:   threats  to  wild  salmon stocks;  risk  to the  state                                                               
economy; and risk  to public health.  Elaborating,  she said that                                                               
the farmed  Atlantic salmon pose  an escapement threat,  which is                                                               
backed by  fishermen frequently  reporting incidental  catches of                                                               
pen reared  Atlantic salmon originating  in Washington  State and                                                               
British Columbia,  Canada.   The U.S.  Fish and  Wildlife Service                                                               
(USFWS)   and   the   National  Oceanographic   and   Atmospheric                                                               
Association  (NOAA) recognize  and acknowledge  the risks  posed,                                                               
and  the  associated   effects  on  wild  salmon   stocks.    The                                                               
genetically modified fish is more  aggressive and predatory.  The                                                               
possibility also exists  for escaped GMO fish  to crossbreed with                                                               
wild  fish.   Although promoted  as sterile,  studies indicate  a                                                               
five  percent reproduction  rate,  which,  among other  concerns,                                                               
threatens the ability for Alaska  wild salmon marketers to ensure                                                               
confident labeling  practices.  Consumption  of a GMO  fish means                                                               
also  consuming foreign  DNA, along  with growth  hormones.   The                                                               
risks to human health have not  been determined by the FDA.  Long                                                               
term safety testing has not  been completed, posing unknown risks                                                               
among vulnerable  populations, especially children  and expectant                                                               
mothers.  The  economic risk may be  negatively impacted, similar                                                               
to  downward   turn  that  occurred   when  farmed   salmon  were                                                               
introduced  in  the  1990s.   Marketing  efforts  has  created  a                                                               
recognizable, trusted  brand for Alaska Seafood  and preservation                                                               
of  consumer  confidence  is  paramount  for  continued  economic                                                               
stability.   Part of the  marketing campaign includes  the health                                                               
benefits  associated  with  salmon  consumption.    Consideration                                                               
should also  be given to  the fact  that the fishing  industry is                                                               
the second largest  private sector employer in  Alaska.  Finally,                                                               
she  said that  HJR 5  is an  opportunity to  address FDA  with a                                                               
unified  voice to  protect wild  Alaska  salmon.   Representative                                                               
Tarr pointed out that many  letters of support have been received                                                               
and   made  part   of  the   committee  packet.     Additionally,                                                               
suggestions have been made regarding  specific language, and will                                                               
be  offered as  amendments.   On request  she reviewed  the three                                                               
potential amendments.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON opened public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
10:18:31 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
GERALD  McCUNE,  Lobbyist,  Cordova  District  Fishermen  United,                                                               
stated support for  HJR 5 and the suggested amendments.   He said                                                               
if  the FDA  goes  ahead with  the decision,  the  next step  for                                                               
Alaska would  be to ensure  stipulations for  appropriate product                                                               
labeling.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:19:49 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
JULIANNE CURRY,  Executive Director,  United Fishermen  of Alaska                                                               
(UFA), stated support  for HJR 5 and said the  organization has a                                                               
long  standing  history  of opposition  to  genetically  modified                                                               
salmon.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON  asked if  similar concerns  and opposition                                                               
to Frankenfish exists in other northwest states.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. CURRY said  yes, and each round of  consideration has brought                                                               
renewed  opposition from  numerous organizations  on the  federal                                                               
level.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HERRON  acknowledged  that Alaska  fishermen  are                                                               
opposed  to GMO  fish,  and asked  what the  stance  is from  the                                                               
environmental organizations.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.   CURRY   said   that   historically   the   environmentalist                                                               
organizations   also  take   an   oppositional   stance  to   GMO                                                               
production.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:22:36 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON closed public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
10:23:00 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TARR  named   the  organizations  supporting  the                                                               
resolution,   which   include:       Alaska   Glacier   Seafoods,                                                               
International  Seafoods   of  Alaska,  Pickled   Willies,  United                                                               
Fishermen  of  Alaska,   Petersburg  Vessel  Owners  Association,                                                               
Alaska Trollers Association,  Southeast Alaska Fishermen, Cordova                                                               
District  Fishermen's  United,  and   the  City  and  Borough  of                                                               
Yakutat.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:24:07 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   KREISS-TOMKINS   moved   to   adopt   conceptual                                                               
Amendment 1, which read [original punctuation provided]:                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     P. 1, Line 14 - cleaner [less polluted]                                                                                
     P. 3, Line 8 - must, [omit should]                                                                                     
     P. 3, Line 8 - "Genetically Modified", as required by                                                                  
     Alaska law,                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON seeing no objection  announced Amendment 1, in three                                                               
parts, as adopted.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
10:25:46 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON moved  to report HJR 5, as  amended, out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.    There  being no  objection,  CSHJR  5(FSH)  was                                                               
reported from the House Special Committee on Fisheries.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:26:35 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 10:26 a.m. to 10:29 a.m.