Kerry, Snowe look to direct money to fish science

BOSTON (AP) -- U.S. Sens. John Kerry and Olympia Snowe are proposing that lawmakers restore the original intent of a nearly 60-year-old law directing federal money to the fishing industry.

The Saltonstall-Kennedy Act was co-authored by then-U.S. Sen. John F. Kennedy in 1954.

The act took a portion of the duties collected on imported fish and directed major parts of those funds toward improving fishing industry research and development, such as improving data collection.

But most of the money has recently gone elsewhere. In 2010, for instance, about $104 million of $113 million received went to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's budget.

Kerry and Snowe plan to file a bill Monday to ensure the money is used as intended. Kerry said that will improve fishery science and help restore trust with fishermen.

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