Resolution _________________

A RESOLUTION stating the City of Seattle's opposition to any action by the Food and Drug Administration to approve genetically engineered salmon.

WHEREAS, AquaBounty Technologies Inc. has applied for federal approval to commercially produce a growth-enhanced transgenic (genetically modified) Atlantic salmon; and

WHEREAS, this genetically modified salmon has been altered with growth genes from the Pacific Chinook salmon and eel-like Ocean Pout; and

WHEREAS, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended its public comment period until April 26, 2013; and

WHEREAS, salmon is important to the Northwest from an economic as well as cultural standpoint; and

WHEREAS, more than 400,000 fishermen, environmentalists, food safety advocates and others have written to the FDA with concerns about the agency's preliminary findings; and

WHEREAS, these faster-growing farmed fish could threaten the livelihood of Northwest and Alaska fishermen by flooding the market with cheap fish; and

WHEREAS, there are no current requirements to label genetically modified food; and

WHEREAS, Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray of Washington, Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski and Representative Don Young of Alaska are part of a bipartisan coalition that supports legislation that would ban the fish outright or require it to be labeled as transgenic if the FDA approves it; and

WHEREAS, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has sent a letter to the FDA strongly urging them to deny the approval of genetically engineered salmon stating that " the risks of forever contaminating our wild salmon populations -and irreversibly harming tribal culture and traditions -are too great."; and

WHEREAS, the FDA has not conducted any safety testing and has generally neglected to adequately address serious concerns about the safety of consuming salmon that has been genetically engineered (GE) to produce growth hormones at all times, allowing it to grow faster and bigger than natural salmon; and

WHEREAS, scientists have predicted that the introduction of genetically modified salmon into populations of native salmon could have severely detrimental ecological and economic impacts on coastal communities whose livelihoods depend heavily on fishing, including

the devastation of populations of native salmon, as well as other fish and marine mammals that feed on native salmon populations; and

WHEREAS, there is little data on the human health impacts of GE fish; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:

Section 1. The City of Seattle is officially opposed to any action by the Food and Drug Administration to approve genetically engineered salmon.

Section 2. The City of Seattle supports federal labeling of genetically engineered and modified food and animals.

Section 3. This resolution will be submitted to the FDA as public comment.

Adopted by the City Council the ____ day of ____________________, 2013, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this________ day

of ______________________, 2013.

_________________________________

President ___________of the City Council

THE MAYOR CONCURRING:

_________________________________

Michael McGinn, Mayor

Filed by me this ____ day of ________________________, 2013.

____________________________________

Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk

(Seal)

Phyllis Shulman Res GMO Salmon 4-22-13 Version #1a