Legislation to restore import duties on seafood to fisheries research — money that, over the years has been diverted into NOAA operations — has been filed by U.S. Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Olympia Snowe of Maine.
Companion legislation to the Senate bill filed Thursday is to be filed on March 19 when the House returns to session, according to the office of Congressman Barney Frank whose district includes New Bedford. Congressman John Tierney, whose district includes Cape Ann, is a co-sponsor.
The intent, as expressed Thursday by Kerry, is to realign the 1954 Saltonstall-Kennedy Act to its original purpose.
Co-sponsored by the future president, then-Sen. John F. Kennedy, and his Republican colleague from Massachusets, Leverett Saltonstall, the law required 30 percent of import duties on seafood and fish products to be reserved for research and development of the domestic fishing industry.
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