04/23/1999 03:10 PM Senate RES

                    SB 139-SEAFOOD LABELING                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
VICE CHAIR TAYLOR announced SB 139 to be up for consideration and                                                               
since he was prime sponsor, he asked his staff person, Ms. Mel                                                                  
Krogseng, to introduce it.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS. KROGSENG informed the committee of the CS which addresses                                                                   
several concerns brought up by the seafood industry in Alaska.  The                                                             
changes are that they have revised the title so there is not a                                                                  
requirement to label fish as "wild."  It just requires labeling of                                                              
farmed fish and farmed fisheries products.  Additionally, there is                                                              
an exemption for mariculture products in the State.  The other                                                                  
significant change is that the requirement for labeling falls on                                                                
the retailer who is actually selling the product to the consumer,                                                               
whether it be a grocery store or a restaurant.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
The reason behind the bill is because of the ever increasing                                                                    
farming of fish in other states and areas of the world and the                                                                  
quality that is far inferior to the quality of our wild stocks in                                                               
Alaska.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. KROGSENG said she worked with Jerry McCune, UFA, and members of                                                             
the mariculture industry and they support the bill.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MACKIE moved to adopt the CS to SB 139.  There were no                                                                  
objections and it was so ordered.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MACKIE said he appreciated the industry's work on the "wild                                                             
and natural" language, because ASMI did a significant study in                                                                  
different parts of the country and got people's ideas on different                                                              
labelings and advertisements and things that would work for selling                                                             
Alaska seafood products.  One interesting thing they found was that                                                             
the term "wild salmon" sets off a negative response, because people                                                             
think that it must taste "gamey". He thought it was appropriate to                                                              
make that change.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR LINCOLN said she appreciated the work that had been done on                                                             
this issue.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. KROGSENG added that former legislator Dave Choquette suggested                                                              
using the description of "ocean fed and free ranging."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MACKIE moved to pass CSSB 139 (RES) from committee with                                                                 
individual recommendations.  SENATOR GREEN objected.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
VICE CHAIR TAYLOR asked for a roll call vote.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATORS MACKIE, LINCOLN, KELLY, and TAYLOR voted yes; SENATOR                                                                  
GREEN voted no; and the bill moved from committee.