What happened to all those letters you sent about the GE salmon?

Remember when I was ranting about Aqua Bounty’s Genetically Engineered Salmon when we were given less than a month to voice our opinion on it? Remember when I said we were all waiting to see whether FDA would approve GE Salmon? And remember all those letters and forms we filled out to our Senators and House of Representatives? Do you know what happened to all those letters?

Transgenic vs. Non-Transgenic Salmon (Aqua Bounty)

It turns out, in addition to over 300 environmental, consumer, health, and animal welfare organizations, along with salmon and fishing groups and associations, food companies, chefs and restaurants signed joint letters to the FDA opposing the approval of AquaBounty’s GE salmon.  The Center for Food Safety and a coalition of allied groups also submitted nearly 172,000 comments from individuals opposing the approval. Not only that, forty Representatives and Senators sent their letters to the FDA OPPOSING GE salmon.

For once, I feel like all those forms I filled out actually made it to the right people and they heard my voice because, NY Senator and Congressmen are on the list of politicians who oppose GE Salmon! BooYah!!

Congressmen Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), and Mike Thompson (D-CA) led 29 Members of the House of Representatives in asking the FDA to halt the approval process of AquaBounty GE salmon in a letter to FDA Commissioner, Margaret Hamburg.

And Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) led 10 Senators in a a similar letter to FDA Commissioner Hamburg. The letters urge the FDA to halt approval as they believe the agency need to thoroughly examine and address the serious flaws with FDA’s approval process and include greater public input and scientific data.

In addition, 13 members of the California State Legislature sent a letter to FDA and President Obama requesting that FDA deny the approval until the full suite of environmental and food safety concerns are addressed.

What did they say?

Here are some quotes of Representatives and Senators who urged the FDA to examine their procedure further and to NOT approve GE Salmon.

“The FDA’s hastily completed approval process puts American consumers and the environment at risk. GE salmon could be devastating to fishing and coastal communities, our food source, and already depleted wild salmon populations. The FDA should put the interests and safety of American families and our ocean resources above special interests,” Rep. DeFazio said.

List of honorable Congressmen and women who oppose GE Salmon

1. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
2. Peter DeFazio (D-OH)
3. Mike Thompson (D-CA)
4. Earl Blumenauer (Ore.)
5. George Miller (Calif.),
6. Sam Farr (Calif.),
7. John Garamendi (Calif.),
8. Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.),
9. Maurice Hinchey (N.Y.),
10. Barbara Lee (Calif.),
11. Betty McCollum (Minn.),
12. Dennis Moore (Kan.),
13. Jim Moran (Va.),
14. Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.),
15. Jackie Speier (Calif.),
16. Peter Welch (Vt.),
17. Lynn Woolsey (Calif.),
18. David Wu (Ore.),
19. Madeleine Bordallo (Guam),
20. Jim McDermott (Wash.),
21. Lloyd Doggett (Tex.),
22. Lois Capps (Calif.),
23. Louise Slaughter (N.Y.),
24. Kurt Schrader (Ore.),
25. Keith Ellison (Minn.),
26. Norm Dicks (Wash.)
27. Donna Christensen (V.I.).

List of honorable Senators who oppose GE Salmon

1. Sen. Mark Begich (AK)
2. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK),
3. Sen. Patty Murray (WA),
4. Sen. Bernard Sanders (VT),
5. Sen. Maria Cantwell (WA),
6. Sen. Ron Wyden (OR),
7. Sen. Patrick Leahy (VT),
8. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY),
9. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (MD),
10. Sen. Jeff Merkley (OR),
11. Sen. Jon Tester (MT)

Legislators in 14 Districts in CA

1. Jared Huffman
2. John Perez
3. Mike Gatto
4. Bill Monning
5. Fran Pavley
6. Wes Chesbro
7. Marty Block
8. Ira Ruskin
9. Paul Fong
10. Christine Kehoe
11. Ellen Corbett
12. Loni Hanock
13. Pat Wiggins
14. Mark De Saulnier

In my opinion,

I think we’ve done something. If all these politicians are sending their letters to the FDA in response to their constituents, I think we did convey our message. Do you see your state on this list? If you don’t, you need to send a letter to your congressman and senators.

It’s never too late.