[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 27 (Thursday, February 13, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S2439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SALTONSTALL-KENNEDY GRANT PROGRAM AND CREATION OF THE ALASKA FISHERIES 
                            MARKETING BOARD

  Mr. STEVENS. Madam President, the Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) Grant 
Program is a competitive program administered by the National Marine 
Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, NOAA, Department of Commerce. The S-K program was 
established by the Saltonstall-Kennedy Act of 1954 to promote U.S. 
seafood products around the world and generally support our Nation's 
fisheries. For the first time in 1979, S-K receipts from import duties 
on fishery products were transferred to NOAA's base budget to fund an 
industry/government partnership. However, without my amendment in 
fiscal year 2003 NOAA would transfer $75 million to it's base budget, 
leaving only $220,000 for the original purposes of this program--
promoting domestic seafood production. This provision ensures that a 
little less than 15 percent of those receipts transferred to NOAA will 
be used for their intended purpose--promoting domestic seafood from 
Alaska, home to half of the U.S. domestic seafood production.
  This bill includes $10 million from the S-K program to market Alaska 
seafood products and creates the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board to 
administer these funds. This program will help develop and promote 
high-value fresh and fresh-frozen Alaskan seafood products, allowing 
Alaska fishermen to better compete in the global and domestic markets.
  The Secretary of Commerce will appoint the members of the board and 
the executive director. In appointing members to the board, the 
Secretary shall fully consult with and seek recommendations from the 
Governor of Alaska. The membership should reflect the various aspects 
of seafood production, distribution, State oversight and the retail of 
Alaska seafood products. This would include three individuals with 
experience in harvesting Alaska seafood, two individuals with 
experience in fish processing, one individual from the Alaska 
transportation industry, one individual from the Alaska State 
legislature -preferably with experience on the State of Alaska's Salmon 
Task Force, one individual with experience in mass market food 
distribution, one individual with experience in mass market food 
retailing, one individual with experience in niche marketing of Alaska 
seafood products, and one individual recommended by the Alaska Seafood 
Marketing Institute.
  The board will solicit grant proposals for marketing Alaska seafood 
from the public, review them, and fund those that will do the most to 
help reinvigorate struggling sectors of the Alaska seafood industry. 
These proposals can promote region-specific or species-specific 
marketing programs that do not undermine existing statewide ``Alaska 
Seafood'' marketing efforts.
  The board may choose to promote the development of new processing 
technologies to insure the commercial viability of Alaska seafood and 
improve related transportation costs in delivering these products to 
market, and will work to improve the overall marketability of Alaska 
seafood.
  I look forward to working with the Secretary of Commerce on 
establishing the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board and helping the 
Alaska seafood industry get its message out to the world.

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