March 23, 2022 — On March 11, the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act (S-497) sailed through the Senate, making way (again) for a return to funding for domestic seafood R&D and marketing. An identical bill is now awaiting House approval for the last steps in this retro makeover of the Saltonstall-Kennedy Act.
In 1954, the S-K Act, was established to give U.S. seafood a boost with research and development into new products, as well as funds to market them.
If passed and signed, the act would establish the American Fisheries Advisory Committee, which would become the U.S. seafood industry’s voice in directing 10 percent of the S-K grant funds back to their original purpose.