AGRICULTURE »» AQUACULTURE »» FARMED SALMON ESCAPE »» Jul 24, 2023

Farmed salmon, aquaculture’s principal product, account for about 70% of U.S. salmon consumption. But escapes are common when hundreds of thousands of tilapia, catfish, sea bass, steelhead, carp, salmon and tuna are held in open pens, farms and ponds. Storms, equipment malfunctions and predators cause significant releases of farmed fish. Most salmon have been genetically-modified or selectively bred to be more aggressive and grow faster, with smaller fins and larger bodies. Biologists worry that when farmed fish escape and interbreed with wild salmon populations, the genetic make-up of these wild stocks are altered which can lead to a loss of fitness, productivity, diversity and the eventual extinction of some populations. Proposed Legislation: Reintroduction of H.R.273 - Prevention of Escapement of Genetically Altered Salmon in the United States Act (117th Congress 2021-2022) Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR) I oppose reforming current aquaculture salmon escape policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (CA). I support: 1.) Prohibiting a person from shipping, selling or purchasing a genetically modified fish or fish product in interstate or foreign commerce. 2.) Engaging in net-pen aquaculture of such fish. 3.) Releasing such fish into a natural environment. And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.

Winning Option »» No issues were voted

I support: 1.) Prohibiting a person from shipping, selling or purchasing a genetically modified fish or fish product in interstate or foreign commerce. 2.) Engaging in net-pen aquaculture of such fish. 3.) Releasing such fish into a natural environment. And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.

Trustee Candidates

Representative If elected as a trustee, the campaign committee of Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR) will be unconditionally awarded the funds pledged to this issue along with a letter requesting her to favorably consider either reintroducing H.R.273 - Prevention of Escapement of Genetically Altered Salmon in the United States Act (117th Congress 2021-2022), or a similar version thereof. Wild Fish Conservancy If elected as a trustee, Wild Fish Conservancy will be awarded the funds pledged to affect this issue along with a letter requesting these funds be used on efforts to reduce or eliminate aquafarmed fish from escaping into the wild. Mission: Wild fish have been an integral part of the economic, cultural, and ecological fabric of the Northwest for thousands of years. Unfortunately, over the last several decades, native fish have declined across the region. Today, many Northwest wild-fish populations face the threat of extinction, and since 1991, the US government has listed 27 populations of native salmon, trout, and char as threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. Wild Fish Conservancy is a nonprofit conservation ecology organization headquartered in Washington State and dedicated to preserving, protecting and restoring the northwest’s wild fish and the ecosystems they depend on, through science, education and advocacy.

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