ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
               HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                         April 11, 2005                                                                                         
                           1:05 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Jay Ramras, Co-Chair                                                                                             
Representative Ralph Samuels, Co-Chair                                                                                          
Representative Jim Elkins                                                                                                       
Representative Carl Gatto                                                                                                       
Representative Kurt Olson                                                                                                       
Representative Paul Seaton                                                                                                      
Representative Harry Crawford                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux                                                                                                 
Representative Mary Kapsner                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 256                                                                                                              
"An Act naming the Ruth Burnett Sport Fish Hatchery in                                                                          
Fairbanks."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED HB 256 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 25                                                                                                              
"An Act relating to labeling and identification of genetically                                                                  
modified fish and fish products."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED SB 25 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 251                                                                                                              
"An Act authorizing the Board of Fisheries to adopt regulations                                                                 
regarding fishing by a person who holds two entry permits for a                                                                 
salmon fishery."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     - SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB 256                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: RUTH BURNETT SPORT FISH HATCHERY                                                                                   
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) RAMRAS                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
04/06/05       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
04/06/05       (H)       FSH, RES                                                                                               
04/11/05       (H)       FSH AT 8:30 AM CAPITOL 124                                                                             
04/11/05       (H)       RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
BILL: SB  25                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: GENETICALLY MODIFIED FISH                                                                                          
SPONSOR(S): SENATOR(S) ELTON, STEVENS G                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
01/11/05       (S)       PREFILE RELEASED 12/30/04                                                                              
01/11/05       (S)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
01/11/05       (S)       L&C, RES                                                                                               
02/01/05       (S)       L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211                                                                               
02/01/05       (S)       -- Meeting Rescheduled to 02/08/05 --                                                                  
02/08/05       (S)       L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211                                                                               
02/08/05       (S)       Moved SB  25 Out of Committee                                                                          
02/08/05       (S)       MINUTE(L&C)                                                                                            
02/09/05       (S)       L&C RPT 4DP 1NR                                                                                        
02/09/05       (S)       NR: BUNDE                                                                                              
02/09/05       (S)       DP: ELLIS, DAVIS, SEEKINS, STEVENS B                                                                   
02/23/05       (S)       RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205                                                                           
02/23/05       (S)       Moved SB  25 Out of Committee                                                                          
02/23/05       (S)       MINUTE(RES)                                                                                            
02/24/05       (S)       RES RPT 4DP                                                                                            
02/24/05       (S)       DP: WAGONER, DYSON, STEDMAN, ELTON                                                                     
03/07/05       (S)       TRANSMITTED TO (H)                                                                                     
03/07/05       (S)       VERSION: SB  25                                                                                        
03/09/05       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
03/09/05       (H)       FSH, L&C, RES                                                                                          
03/16/05       (H)       FSH AT 8:30 AM CAPITOL 124                                                                             
03/16/05       (H)       Moved Out of Committee                                                                                 
03/16/05       (H)       MINUTE(FSH)                                                                                            
03/17/05       (H)       FSH RPT 5DP                                                                                            
03/17/05       (H)       DP: ELKINS, KAPSNER, WILSON, LEDOUX,                                                                   
                         THOMAS                                                                                                 
04/04/05       (H)       L&C AT 3:15 PM CAPITOL 17                                                                              
04/04/05       (H)       Moved Out of Committee                                                                                 
04/04/05       (H)       MINUTE(L&C)                                                                                            
04/05/05       (H)       L&C RPT 4DP 2NR                                                                                        
04/05/05       (H)       DP:   CRAWFORD,    LEDOUX,   GUTTENBERG,                                                               
                         ANDERSON;                                                                                              
04/05/05       (H)       NR: KOTT, ROKEBERG                                                                                     
04/11/05       (H)       RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
JIM POUND, Staff                                                                                                                
to Representative Jay Ramras                                                                                                    
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION   STATEMENT:      Presented   HB  256   on   behalf   of                                                               
Representative Ramras, sponsor                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
PAULA CADIENTE, Staff                                                                                                           
to Senator Kim Elton                                                                                                            
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
POSITION STATEMENT:  Presented SB  25 on behalf of Senator Elton,                                                               
Sponsor.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
ALICE OTTOSON-MCKEEN, Middle School Student                                                                                     
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified in support of SB 25.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
JERRY MCCUNE                                                                                                                    
United Fisherman of Alaska                                                                                                      
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified on SB 25.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  RALPH  SAMUELS  called  the  House  Resources  Standing                                                             
Committee  meeting  to  order at  1:05:51  PM.    Representatives                                                             
Ramras,  Samuels,  Elkins,  Crawford,   Seaton,  and  Gatto  were                                                               
present at  the call to  order.  Representative Olson  arrived as                                                               
the meeting was in progress.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HB 256-RUTH BURNETT SPORT FISH HATCHERY                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SAMUELS  announced that  the  first  order of  business                                                               
would  be HOUSE  BILL NO.  256 "An  Act naming  the Ruth  Burnett                                                               
Sport Fish Hatchery in Fairbanks."                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:06:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JIM  POUND,  Staff to  Representative  Jay  Ramras, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  said HB  256  names a  fish  hatchery in  Fairbanks                                                               
after former  Mayor Ruth  Burnett, who was  key in  getting funds                                                               
for the  hatchery.  She once  worked for Senator Ted  Stevens, so                                                               
through her  connections she  was able to  secure $10  million in                                                               
federal funding for a sport fish hatchery.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR RAMRAS  said the fish  hatchery in Fairbanks  meets many                                                               
of  the  city's  economic  development  goals  and  improves  the                                                               
quality of  life.   It will provide  facilities for  research for                                                               
the University of  Alaska and a tourist destination.   He said he                                                               
knew Ruth Burnett, who recently passed away.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:09:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  RAMRAS moved  to report  HB 256  out of  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being  no objection,  HB 256  was passed  out of  the House                                                               
Resources Standing Committee.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SB  25-GENETICALLY MODIFIED FISH                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SAMUELS  announced that  the  final  order of  business                                                               
would be  SENATE BILL  NO. 25  "An Act  relating to  labeling and                                                               
identification of genetically modified fish and fish products."                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
PAULA  CADIENTE,  Staff  to  Senator   Kim  Elton,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  presented SB  25  on behalf  of  Senator Elton  and                                                               
Senator Gary  Stevens, co-sponsors.   She said the  bill requires                                                               
modified finfish or shellfish sold  in Alaska to be identified on                                                               
the  label at  the  retail level.   These  fish  are also  called                                                               
"FrankenFish,"   she  noted.     Currently,   a  glow-in-the-dark                                                               
aquarium fish  is the only  genetically modified fish  allowed to                                                               
be sold  in the United  States, she  said, but an  application is                                                               
pending  before  the  Food  and  Drug  Administration  (FDA)  for                                                               
genetically farmed fish for human consumption.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. CADIENTE  said Atlantic salmon  are expected to be  the first                                                               
species slated  for genetic modification,  she noted,  and others                                                               
would likely follow.  A United  States and Canadian firm wants to                                                               
introduce a genetically modified salmon to be sold worldwide.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The allure  of fast  growing fish  is economically  enticing, she                                                               
stated,  and  it  is  important  for  Alaska  consumers  to  make                                                               
informed choices.   Required labeling allows  marketers of Alaska                                                               
seafood to  "draw a bright  line" between natural, wild  fish and                                                               
industrial fish.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:12:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO  asked about page 4,  line 5, of SB  25.  He                                                               
said  he understands  the  intent, but  the  term "not  possible"                                                               
should be  exchanged with  "highly unlikely."   A court  case may                                                               
find a single case of it occurring in nature.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. CADIENTE answered, "I think  that 'not possible under natural                                                               
conditions' just means not done in the laboratory."                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
ALICE  OTTOSON-MCKEEN, Middle-School  Student,  Juneau, said  she                                                               
was in favor of SB 25.  She  declared that she wants to know what                                                               
she is  eating.   Genetically-modified fish  have high  levels of                                                               
mercury and  don't taste good, she  added.  The FDA's  failure to                                                               
require  labeling of  genetically modified  foods is  effectively                                                               
restricting  Americans  from  exercising a  right,  and  subjects                                                               
individuals to foods they have sound  reasons to avoid.  "Why not                                                               
label them?" she asked.  She  said everyone wants to know what is                                                               
in their food.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:16:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JERRY MCCUNE,  United Fisherman of Alaska,  Juneau, noted today's                                                               
Anchorage  Daily News  and New  York Times,  which reported  that                                                           
retailers  and distributors  don't  know  the difference  between                                                               
farmed and wild  fish.  He said it is  in the consumer's interest                                                               
to have labeling laws, so people know what they are buying.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:17:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON moved  to report  SB 25  out of  committee                                                               
with  individual recommendations  and accompanying  fiscal notes.                                                               
There being  no objection, SB  25 was  reported out of  the House                                                               
Resources Standing Committee.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Resources  Standing Committee  meeting was  adjourned at  1:17:55                                                             
PM.