April 26, 2012, WASHINGTON — Legislation that cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee late last week contains a provision that U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., believes will be a boon to Bay State fishermen.
The legislation, which will next be considered by the full Senate, includes language designed to ensure that $119 million from the U.S. Commerce Department's so-called Saltonstall-Kennedy fund is spent to benefit fishermen and their communities.
In 1954, the state's two senators — Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Leverett Saltonstall — successfully sponsored legislation to direct a portion of tariff revenue from imported fish and fish products into a fund to be used for research and development of the domestic fishing industry.
But there have been complaints that the money from the Saltonstall-Kennedy fund was not being used for its intended purpose, prompting Kerry and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, to introduce legislation to remedy the situation. To expedite its passage, their proposal was incorporated into the Senate Appropriations Committee bill that contains funding for the Commerce Department in 2013 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
"I applaud Senator Kerry for his leadership on this issue and for making sure that this funding is used for its intended purpose — to help the fishing industry, not to cover administrative overhead," said U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Newton, referring to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Frank introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
Under Kerry's plan, the $119 million would go into a fund titled "Promote and Develop Fishery Products and Research Pertaining to American Fisheries" and would be allocated for fishery activities — such as cooperative research, stock assessments and survey and monitoring projects.
Read the full story at the Cap Cod Times.