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Alaska
Senator Lisa Murkowski filed an amendment on the Senate floor Thursday
that would bar the Food and Drug Administration from approving
genetically-modified salmon for human consumption until NOAA signs off on the
plan.
Currently,
approval of the genetically engineered fish would come administratively,
through the FDA. Both Murkowski and Senator Mark Begich have been fighting to
stop that approval unless economic, environmental and human consumption
safeties are in place.
The
legislation would mean the same NOAA analysis and standards in place for wild
fisheries would be required before the FDA approves genetically-modified
salmon.
Recently
during a Health, Education, Labor and Pension subcommittee hearing, Murkowski
described her intent.
-- (Murkowski 1 16 sec "The
real concern is that we're ... allowing into the waters.")
Much of the
opposition to the genetically modified fish is that they would not be required
to be labeled as such, thereby leading to confusion among consumers who might
think they are wild-caught salmon.
-- (GE Fish 2 19 sec "Right now the FDA's reluctance ... of the FDA for even
that.")
Murkowski
has gotten support from both sides of the aisle for her efforts, including from
Democrat Jeff Merkley of Oregon:
-- (GE Fish 3 18 sec "For those of us who live in ... but also of our
economy.")
Democratic
Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa told Murkowski that the FDA should address some of
the concerns she has, but was noncommittal as far as outright endorsement of
her amendment:
-- (GE Fish 4 26 sec "Technology needs federal ... amendment we can work on.")
The Iowa
senator's lukewarm reception is consistent with Murkowski's statement that she
was getting significant "pushback" from farm-state interests, which
increasingly rely on genetically modified crops.
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