City opposes GE salmon

This article was originally published in June 2013

salmon

Seattle’s City Council has passed a resolution opposing any action to approve genetically engineered (GE) salmon. Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn concurred with the council’s unanimous vote and is submitting the resolution to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a public comment.

The resolution notes FDA has not conducted any safety testing and generally has neglected to address serious concerns about the safety of consuming an animal engineered to produce foreign growth hormones at all times. It says engineered salmon would severely impact populations of native salmon, as well as the ecology of coastal communities that rely on the commercial fishing industry.

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community also has urged FDA not to approve the engineered salmon, saying the risks of contaminating wild salmon and “irreversibly harming tribal culture and traditions are too great.”

By the comment period deadline in April, FDA received nearly 2 million comments opposing GE salmon.

Also in this issue

Organic standards decisions

Read about NOSB decisions regarding allowance of antibiotic sprays used in organic apple and pear production, seed purity standard and rejection of several petitions asking that certain materials be allowed in organic foods.

In praise of pastured eggs

PCC is pleased to say we now sell pastured eggs at all our nine stores, depending on availability. They come from a variety of Washington farms where the chickens run free and feast on fresh pasture year-round.

PCC Board of Trustees report, June 2013

A loss in the family; Election, board and member meetings