Action Taken For Salmon & Hurrying Up GMO Labeling

Action Taken For Salmon & Hurrying Up GMO Labeling. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

Last year, warm water conditions were responsible for killing some 90% of the adult sockeye salmon in the Columbia Basin. A response plan is being drafted that can be affected should similar conditions return this summer. Thirteen populations of salmon and steelhead are listed as endangered or threatened and the plan is looking at ways to cool water temperatures for the sockeye that return to the Columbia Basin to spawn.

The issue of labeling genetically modified foods has been getting a considerable amount of attention lately and during last weeks Commodity Classic, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack discussed the issue. He said up front that Congress needs to act.

VILSACK: And they need to act in the very, very short term. I appreciate the fact that Chairman Roberts and the Agriculture Committee has moved forward and put a proposal on the table. It's going to be important to avoid the chaos that could ensue if we have 50 different states developing their own labeling requirements or individual companies deciding to establish their own individual companies labeling requirements. There's a need for action. There's a need, frankly, for that action to result in some kind of national standard that applies and provides options for labeling.

That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.