Alaska’s Senators Turn Up the Heat on GE Salmon – Fishupdate.com

Alaska’s Senators Turn Up the Heat on GE Salmon Published:  19 October, 2011

With AquaBounty’s AquaAdvantage genetically engineered (GE) salmon now under review by the White House and one step closer to approval, Alaska’s senators—concerned about the possible impacts the approval would have on their state’s wild salmon stocks—are taking actions to try to block the experimental organism.

One of the actions would block the salmon’s approval, while the other would effectively stop its commercialisation should the fish be approved.

Senator Mark Begich (D-AK)  filed a bill on Monday that would make it illegal to ship, transport, sell, or purchase GE salmon in interstate or foreign commerce. Meanwhile, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) offered an amendment to the 2012 Agriculture Appropriations bill that would prohibit the Food and Drug Administration from using funding to approve the application—a move that builds upon the similar Young-Woolsey amendment in the House, and would essentially block the approval process.

“We applaud Alaska’s Senators for stepping up to the plate to protect our nation’s natural resources while preserving jobs for their constituents,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. “Once again the FDA is looking out for the interests of the biotech industry over consumers and the environment. We hope other members of Congress resist the biotech industry’s lobbying and tell the FDA to do its job, not approve unwanted or untested science experiments.”

Begich’s bill, the Prevention of Escapement of Genetically Altered Salmon in the United States (PEGASUS) Act, would effectively ban the interstate commerce of all future genetically engineered marine fish. It would also make it illegal to possess such fish with the intent of shipping, transporting or selling it, and violations would be enforced and subject to penalties under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Senator Murkowski, who also co-sponsored PEGASUS, is Chair of the Oceans Caucus and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “The Frankenfish issue still has far more questions than answers, starting with the FDA’s process for approving an animal product intended for human consumption is considered by some to be insufficient,” she said in a statement. “The tests have come under attack from scientific groups, including the FDA’s own Veterinary Medical Advisory Committee.”