Dear CALPIRG supporter,
As you may know, a petition to the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) was filed by Aqua Bounty Farms to allow genetically
engineered (called transgenic) salmon into the United States. Researchers
have found that the introduction of transgenic fish into a native fish
population could lead to the extinction of the native species.
Our state
has spent millions of dollars on projects aimed at recovering our salmon
populations and restoring their habitat. We risk introducing a transgenic
fish that will compete for food and shelter with similar native fish
populations.
The state Senate will soon be voting on legislation to
protect our native marine life by making it unlawful to import, transport,
possess, or release alive any live genetically engineered fish in
California.
Follow the link below to go to a web page where you can
e-mail your state senator to support this legislation.
http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=351&id4=ESBACKGROUND
Currently
there is no federal restriction or regulation on the possession or release of
genetically engineered (called transgenic) fish. A petition to the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) was filed by Aqua Bounty Farms to allow transgenic
salmon into the United States. These transgenic salmon are engineered with
a growth hormone to grow 10-30 times faster than natural fish.
If the FDA
approves this petition, our waters could be open to transgenic salmon, which
could be a detriment to our native salmon populations. SB 1525 (Sher) will
protect our native marine life by making it unlawful to import, transport,
possess, or release any live genetically engineered fish in
California.
Researchers at Purdue University have found that the
introduction of transgenic fish into a native fish population could lead to the
extinction of a native species. Since thousands of farmed fish already
escape into the wild each year even with regulatory controls, the release of
transgenic fish into our waters would put our wild fish populations at risk,
disrupt ecosystems and jeopardize the recovery of endangered species, such as
endangered California Coho and Chinook salmon.
Our state has spent
millions of dollars on projects aimed at recovering our salmon populations and
restoring their habitat. Enactment of SB 1525 is necessary to ensure that
these restoration projects can continue to recover wild salmon. Otherwise,
we risk introducing a transgenic fish that will compete for food and shelter,
and potentially breed with similar native fish populations.
Since
we do not have federal regulations controlling the release of genetically
engineered fish, the state of California needs to proactively protect our native
fish populations from these transgenic, aquatic nuisance species.
The
state Senate will soon be voting on legislation to protect our native marine
life by making it unlawful to import, transport, possess, or release alive any
live genetically engineered (transgenic) fish in California.
Follow the
link below to go to a web page where you can e-mail your state senator to
support this legislation.
http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=351&id4=ESSincerely,
Wendy
Wendlandt
CALPIRG Associate Director
http://www.CALPIRG.orgP.S.
Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with
your family and friends.