03/14/2011 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

          HJR  8-OPPOSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:58:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SEATON announced  that the  next order  of business  is                                                               
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION  NO. 8, Urging the United  States Food and                                                               
Drug Administration  to deny an  application to  sell genetically                                                               
engineered salmon  in the United  States; urging  compliance with                                                               
the  provision  of  P.L. 110-85  (Food  and  Drug  Administration                                                               
Amendments Act  of 2007) that  requires the Commissioner  of Food                                                               
and Drugs to  consult with the National  Marine Fisheries Service                                                               
of the National Oceanic  and Atmospheric Administration regarding                                                               
a  report  on  environmental risks  associated  with  genetically                                                               
engineered  seafood products;  and urging  that product  labeling                                                               
requirements   include    the   words    "Genetically   Modified"                                                               
prominently  displayed  on  the  front  of  the  package  if  the                                                               
application  is  approved by  the  United  States Food  and  Drug                                                               
Administration.  [Before the committee was CSHJR 8(FSH).]                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:00:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAWASAKI,   speaking  as   the  sponsor   HJR  8,                                                               
explained that  the resolution  is a statement  to the  U.S. Food                                                               
and Drug Administration (FDA) and  Congress that urges the FDA to                                                               
deny  the application  before it  to sell  genetically engineered                                                               
salmon.    There is  a  proposal  from  a  company for  a  hybrid                                                               
Atlantic salmon, which could be  the first genetically engineered                                                               
animal for  human consumption in the  U.S.  He opined  that there                                                               
hasn't  been  enough  due  diligence  at the  FDA  and  it  would                                                               
establish  a  risky  precedence  to   allow  the  sale  of  these                                                               
genetically modified  salmon.  He  reminded the committee  of the                                                               
farmed  fin  fish  from  British   Columbia,  Canada,  that  have                                                               
traveled into  Alaskan waters.   There is no  knowledge regarding                                                               
what will happen with this  genetically modified salmon, which is                                                               
an Atlantic salmon with the growth  genes of a king salmon and an                                                               
anti-freeze  gene of  an eel.   He  characterized this  salmon as                                                               
"frankenfish" and stressed  that science needs to  be done before                                                               
approving  it as  food  for  human consumption.    He noted  that                                                               
Representative Herron  offered an amendment in  the House Special                                                               
Committee on Fisheries that the  committee was unable to address,                                                               
but which could be considered in this committee.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:00:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SEATON announced that HJR 8 would be held over.