Begich Steps Up Anti-Frankenfish Campaign on Halloween

Jay Barrett/KMXT

Alaska Senator Mark Begich took the opportunity on Halloween to do a little reverse trick-or-treating on Capital Hill. Instead of handing out candy at his office, he visited his colleagues to give them treats.

— (Begich 1 18 sec "I went to their offices … doors of Senate offices.")

Begich, like his Alaskan colleague Senator Lisa Murkowski, are campaigning against the Food and Drug Administration approval of genetically modified salmon. It would be the first engineered meat product approved for human consumption if the FDA approves it. Begich was trying to spread the word around the Senate office building that he thinks it’s a bad idea, and says he’s been getting bipartisan support:

— (Begich 2 31 sec "Senator Bozeman, when I went … again: Frankenfish Bad.")

Begich has legislation before the Commerce Committee that would bar the interstate transport of genetically modified salmon across state lines. He says it has a review today in the committee:

— (Begich 3 27 sec "We’re going to try every angle … have success with it.")

The genetically-modified salmon has ocean pout and Chinook salmon genes spliced into its DNA, allowing it to grow to market size faster. The creator of the fish, Aqua Bounty, says they will only raise sterile fish in land-locked rearing pens to guard against any chance that they can escape into the wild and possibly corrupt wild salmon stocks.