(a) Establishment
(1) There shall be established, within 120 days after April 13, 1976, eight Regional Fishery Management Councils, as follows:
(A) New England Council
The New England Fishery Management Council shall consist of the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut and shall have authority over the fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean seaward of such States (except as provided in paragraph (3)). The New England Council shall have 18 voting members, including 12 appointed by the Secretary in accordance with subsection (b)(2) (at least one of whom shall be appointed from each such State).
(B) Mid-Atlantic Council
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council shall consist of the States of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina and shall have authority over the fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean seaward of such States (except North Carolina, and as provided in paragraph (3)). The Mid-Atlantic Council shall have 21 voting members, including 13 appointed by the Secretary in accordance with subsection (b)(2) (at least one of whom shall be appointed from each such State).
(C) South Atlantic Council
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council shall consist of the States of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida and shall have authority over the fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean seaward of such States (except as provided in paragraph (3)). The South Atlantic Council shall have 13 voting members, including 8 appointed by the Secretary in accordance with subsection (b)(2) (at least one of whom shall be appointed from each such State).
(D) Caribbean Council
The Caribbean Fishery Management Council shall consist of the Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and shall have authority over the fisheries in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean seaward of such States and of commonwealths, territories, and possessions of the United States in the Caribbean Sea (except as provided in paragraph (3)). The Caribbean Council shall have 7 voting members, including 4 appointed by the Secretary in accordance with subsection (b)(2) (at least one of whom shall be appointed from each such State).
(E) Gulf Council
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council shall consist of the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and shall have authority over the fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico seaward of such States (except as provided in paragraph (3)). The Gulf Council shall have 17 voting members, including 11 appointed by the Secretary in accordance with subsection (b)(2) (at least one of whom shall be appointed from each such State).
(F) Pacific Council
The Pacific Fishery Management Council shall consist of the States of California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho and shall have authority over the fisheries in the Pacific Ocean seaward of such States. The Pacific Council shall have 14 voting members, including 8 appointed by the Secretary in accordance with subsection (b)(2) (at least one of whom shall be appointed from each such State), and including one appointed from an Indian tribe with Federally [1] recognized fishing rights from California, Oregon, Washington, or Idaho in accordance with subsection (b)(5).
(G) North Pacific Council
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council shall consist of the States of Alaska, Washington, and Oregon and shall have authority over the fisheries in the Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea, and Pacific Ocean seaward of Alaska. The North Pacific Council shall have 11 voting members, including 7 appointed by the Secretary in accordance with subsection (b)(2) (5 of whom shall be appointed from the State of Alaska and 2 of whom shall be appointed from the State of Washington).
(H) Western Pacific Council
The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council shall consist of the States of Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands and shall have authority over the fisheries in the Pacific Ocean seaward of such States and of the Commonwealths, territories, and possessions of the United States in the Pacific Ocean area. The Western Pacific Council shall have 13 voting members, including 8 appointed by the Secretary in accordance with subsection (b)(2) (at least one of whom shall be appointed from each of the following States: Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands).
(b) Voting members
(1) The voting members of each Council shall be:
(B)
The regional director of the National Marine Fisheries Service for the geographic area concerned, or his designee, except that if two such directors are within such geographical area, the Secretary shall designate which of such directors shall be the voting member.
(C)
The members required to be appointed by the Secretary in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (5).
(2)
(A)
The members of each Council required to be appointed by the Secretary must be individuals who, by reason of their occupational or other experience, scientific expertise, or training, are knowledgeable regarding the conservation and management, or the commercial or recreational harvest, of the fishery resources of the geographical area concerned. Within nine months after November 28, 1990, the Secretary shall, by regulation, prescribe criteria for determining whether an individual satisfies the requirements of this subparagraph.
(B) The Secretary, in making appointments under this section, shall, to the extent practicable, ensure a fair and balanced apportionment, on a rotating or other basis, of the active participants (or their representatives) in the commercial and recreational fisheries under the jurisdiction of the Council. On January 31, 1991, and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries of the House of Representatives a report on the actions taken by the Secretary to ensure that such fair and balanced apportionment is achieved. The report shall—
(C)
The Secretary shall appoint the members of each Council from a list of individuals submitted by the Governor of each applicable constituent State. A Governor may not submit the names of individuals to the Secretary for appointment unless the Governor has determined that each such individual is qualified under the requirements of subparagraph (A) and unless the Governor has, to the extent practicable, first consulted with representatives of the commercial and recreational fishing interests of the State regarding those individuals. Each such list shall include the names and pertinent biographical data of not less than three individuals for each applicable vacancy and shall be accompanied by a statement by the Governor explaining how each such individual meets the requirements of subparagraph (A). The Secretary shall review each list submitted by a Governor to ascertain if the individuals on the list are qualified for the vacancy on the basis of such requirements. If the Secretary determines that any individual is not qualified, the Secretary shall notify the appropriate Governor of that determination. The Governor shall then submit a revised list or resubmit the original list with an additional explanation of the qualifications of the individual in question. An individual is not eligible for appointment by the Secretary until that individual complies with the applicable financial disclosure requirements under subsection (k).[2]
(D)
(i) The Governor of a State submitting a list of names of individuals for appointment by the Secretary of Commerce to the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council under subparagraph (C) shall include—
(II)
at least 1 other individual who is knowledgeable regarding the conservation and management of fisheries resources in the jurisdiction of the Council.
(ii) Notwithstanding the requirements of subparagraph (C), if the Secretary determines that the list of names submitted by the Governor does not meet the requirements of clause (i) the Secretary shall—
(iii)
For purposes of clause (i) an individual who owns or operates a fish farm outside of the United States shall not be considered to be a representative of the commercial or recreational fishing sector.
(3)
Each voting member appointed to a Council by the Secretary in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (5) shall serve for a term of 3 years; except that the Secretary may designate a shorter term if necessary to provide for balanced expiration to terms of office. No member appointed after January 1, 1986, may serve more than three consecutive terms. Any term in which an individual was appointed to replace a member who left office during the term shall not be counted in determining the number of consecutive terms served by that Council member.
(4)
Successors to the voting members of any Council shall be appointed in the same manner as the original voting members. Any individual appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of any term of office shall be appointed for the remainder of that term.
(5)
(A)
The Secretary shall appoint to the Pacific Council one representative of an Indian tribe with Federally 1 recognized fishing rights from California, Oregon, Washington, or Idaho from a list of not less than 3 individuals submitted by the tribal governments. The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and tribal governments, shall establish by regulation the procedure for submitting a list under this subparagraph.
(B) Representation shall be rotated among the tribes taking into consideration—
(C)
A vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of any term shall be filled in the same manner as set out in subparagraphs (A) and (B), except that the Secretary may use the list from which the vacating representative was chosen.
(D)
The tribal representative appointed under subparagraph (A) may designate as an alternate, during the period of the representative’s term, an individual knowledgeable concerning tribal rights, tribal law, and the fishery resources of the geographical area concerned.
(6) The Secretary may remove for cause any member of a Council required to be appointed by the Secretary in accordance with paragraphs [3] (2) or (5) if—
(B)
the member is found by the Secretary, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with section 554 of title 5, to have committed an act prohibited by section 1857(1)(O) of this title.
(c) Nonvoting members
(1) The nonvoting members of each Council shall be:
(A)
The regional or area director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for the geographical area concerned, or his designee.
(B)
The Commander of the Coast Guard district for the geographical area concerned, or his designee; except that, if two Coast Guard districts are within such geographical area, the commander designated for such purpose by the commandant of the Coast Guard.
(C)
The executive director of the Marine Fisheries Commission for the geographical area concerned, if any, or his designee.
(2)
The Pacific Council shall have one additional nonvoting member who shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Governor of Alaska.
(d) Compensation and expenses
The voting members of each Council who are required to be appointed by the Secretary and who are not employed by the Federal Government or any State or local government, shall receive compensation at the daily rate for GS–15, step 7 of the General Schedule, when engaged in the actual performance of duties for such Council. The voting members of each Council, any nonvoting member described in subsection (c)(1)(C), and the nonvoting member appointed pursuant to subsection (c)(2) shall be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in the performance of such duties, and other nonvoting members and Council staff members may be reimbursed for actual expenses.
(e) Transaction of business
(4)
If any voting member of a Council disagrees with respect to any matter which is transmitted to the Secretary by such Council, such member may submit a statement to the Secretary setting forth the reasons for such disagreement. The regional director of the National Marine Fisheries Service serving on the Council, or the regional director’s designee, shall submit such a statement, which shall be made available to the public upon request, if the regional director disagrees with any such matter.
(5)
At the request of any voting member of a Council, the Council shall hold a roll call vote on any matter before the Council. The official minutes and other appropriate records of any Council meeting shall identify all roll call votes held, the name of each voting member present during each roll call vote, and how each member voted on each roll call vote.
(f) Staff and administration
(4)
The Administrator of General Services shall furnish each Council with such offices, equipment, supplies, and services as he is authorized to furnish to any other agency or instrumentality of the United States.
(5)
The Secretary and the Secretary of State shall furnish each Council with relevant information concerning foreign fishing and international fishery agreements.
(6)
Each Council shall determine its organization, and prescribe its practices and procedures for carrying out its functions under this chapter, in accordance with such uniform standards as are prescribed by the Secretary. The procedures of a Council, and of its scientific and statistical committee and advisory panels established under subsection (g), must be consistent with the procedural guidelines set forth in subsection (i)(2). Each Council shall publish and make available to the public a statement of its organization, practices, and procedures.
(7) The Secretary shall pay—
(g) Committees and advisory panels
(1)
(A)
Each Council shall establish, maintain, and appoint the members of a scientific and statistical committee to assist it in the development, collection, evaluation, and peer review of such statistical, biological, economic, social, and other scientific information as is relevant to such Council’s development and amendment of any fishery management plan.
(B)
Each scientific and statistical committee shall provide its Council ongoing scientific advice for fishery management decisions, including recommendations for acceptable biological catch, preventing overfishing, maximum sustainable yield, and achieving rebuilding targets, and reports on stock status and health, bycatch, habitat status, social and economic impacts of management measures, and sustainability of fishing practices.
(D)
Each member of a scientific and statistical committee shall be treated as an affected individual for purposes of paragraphs (2), (3)(B), (4), and (5)(A) of subsection (j). The Secretary shall keep disclosures made pursuant to this subparagraph on file.
(E)
The Secretary and each Council may establish a peer review process for that Council for scientific information used to advise the Council about the conservation and management of the fishery. The review process, which may include existing committees or panels, is deemed to satisfy the requirements of the guidelines issued pursuant to section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal year 2001 (Public Law 106–554—Appendix C; 114 Stat. 2763A–153).
(G)
A science and statistical committee shall hold its meetings in conjunction with the meeting of the Council, to the extent practicable.
(2)
Each Council shall establish such advisory panels as are necessary or appropriate to assist it in carrying out its functions under this chapter.
(3)
(B)
Appointments to a committee established under subparagraph (A) shall be made by each Council in such a manner as to provide fair representation to commercial fishing interests in the geographical area of authority of the Council.
(4) The Secretary shall establish advisory panels to assist in the collection and evaluation of information relevant to the development of any fishery management plan or plan amendment for a fishery to which subsection (a)(3) applies. Each advisory panel shall participate in all aspects of the development of the plan or amendment; be balanced in its representation of commercial, recreational, and other interests; and consist of not less than 7 individuals who are knowledgeable about the fishery for which the plan or amendment is developed, selected from among—
(A)
members of advisory committees and species working groups appointed under Acts implementing relevant international fishery agreements pertaining to highly migratory species; and
(h) FunctionsEach Council shall, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter—
(1)
for each fishery under its authority that requires conservation and management, prepare and submit to the Secretary (A) a fishery management plan, and (B) amendments to each such plan that are necessary from time to time (and promptly whenever changes in conservation and management measures in another fishery substantially affect the fishery for which such plan was developed);
(2)
prepare comments on any application for foreign fishing transmitted to it under section 1824(b)(4)(C) of this title or section 1824(d) of this title, and any fishery management plan or amendment transmitted to it under section 1854(c)(4) of this title;
(3)
conduct public hearings, at appropriate times and in appropriate locations in the geographical area concerned, so as to allow all interested persons an opportunity to be heard in the development of fishery management plans and amendments to such plans, and with respect to the administration and implementation of the provisions of this chapter (and for purposes of this paragraph, the term “geographical area concerned” may include an area under the authority of another Council if the fish in the fishery concerned migrate into, or occur in, that area or if the matters being heard affect fishermen of that area; but not unless such other Council is first consulted regarding the conduct of such hearings within its area);
(5)
review on a continuing basis, and revise as appropriate, the assessments and specifications made pursuant to section 1853(a)(3) and (4) of this title with respect to the optimum yield from, the capacity and extent to which United States fish processors will process United States harvested fish from, and the total allowable level of foreign fishing in, each fishery (except as provided in section [4] subsection (a)(3)) within its geographical area of authority;
(6)
develop annual catch limits for each of its managed fisheries that may not exceed the fishing level recommendations of its scientific and statistical committee or the peer review process established under subsection (g);
(7) develop, in conjunction with the scientific and statistical committee, multi-year research priorities for fisheries, fisheries interactions, habitats, and other areas of research that are necessary for management purposes, that shall—
(8)
in addition to complying with the standards and requirements under paragraph (6), sections 1851(a), 1853(a)(15), and 1854(e) of this title, and other applicable provisions of this chapter, have the authority to use fishery management measures in a recreational fishery (or the recreational component of a mixed-use fishery) in developing a fishery management plan, plan amendment, or proposed regulations, such as extraction rates, fishing mortality targets, harvest control rules, or traditional or cultural practices of native communities in such fishery or fishery component; and
(i) Procedural matters
(2) The following guidelines apply with respect to the conduct of business at meetings of a Council, of the Council coordination committee established under subsection (l), and of the scientific and statistical committees or other committees or advisory panels established under subsection (g):
(A)
Unless closed in accordance with paragraph (3), each regular meeting and each emergency meeting shall be open to the public.
(C)
Timely public notice of each regular meeting and each emergency meeting, including the time, place, and agenda of the meeting, shall be provided by any means that will result in wide publicity in the major fishing ports of the region (and in other major fishing ports having a direct interest in the affected fishery), except that e-mail notification and website postings alone are not sufficient. Timely notice of each regular meeting shall also be published in the Federal Register. The published agenda of the meeting may not be modified to include additional matters for Council action without public notice or within 14 days prior to the meeting date, unless such modification is to address an emergency action under section 1855(c) of this title, in which case public notice shall be given immediately.
(D)
Interested persons shall be permitted to present oral or written statements regarding the matters on the agenda at meetings. All written information submitted to a Council by an interested person shall include a statement of the source and date of such information. Any oral or written statement shall include a brief description of the background and interests of the person in the subject of the oral or written statement.
(E)
Detailed minutes of each meeting of the Council, except for any closed session, shall be kept and shall contain a record of the persons present, a complete and accurate description of matters discussed and conclusions reached, and copies of all statements filed. The Chairman shall certify the accuracy of the minutes of each such meeting and submit a copy thereof to the Secretary. The minutes shall be made available to any court of competent jurisdiction.
(F)
Subject to the procedures established under paragraph (4), and the guidelines prescribed by the Secretary under section 1881a(b) of this title, relating to confidentiality, the administrative record, including minutes required under subparagraph (E), of each meeting, and records or other documents which were made available to or prepared for or by the Council, committee, or panel incident to the meeting, shall be available for public inspection and copying at a single location in the offices of the Council or the Secretary, as appropriate.
(3)
(A) Each Council, the Council Coordination Committee established under subsection (l), scientific, and statistical committee, other committees, and advisory panel—
(i)
shall close any meeting, or portion thereof, that concerns matters or information that bears a national security classification; and
(ii)
may close any meeting, or portion thereof, that concerns matters or information that pertains to national security, employment matters, or briefings on litigation in which the Council is interested.
Subparagraphs (D) and (F) of paragraph (2) shall not apply to any meeting or portion thereof that is so closed.
(B)
If any meeting or portion is closed, the Council concerned shall provide notice by any means that will result in wide publicity in the major fishing ports of the region (and in other major fishing ports having a direct interest in the affected fishery), except that e-mail notification and website postings alone are not sufficient, including in that notification the time and place of the meeting. This subpararaph [5] does not require notification regarding any brief closure of a portion of a meeting in order to discuss employment or other internal administrative matters.
(4)
Each Council shall establish appropriate procedures applicable to it and to its committee and advisory panels for ensuring the confidentiality of the statistics that may be submitted to it by Federal or State authorities, and may be voluntarily submitted to it by private persons; including, but not limited to, procedures for the restriction of Council employee access and the prevention of conflicts of interest; except that such procedures, in the case of statistics submitted to the Council by a State or by the Secretary under section 1881a(b) of this title, must be consistent with the laws and regulations of that State, or with the procedures of the Secretary, as the case may be, concerning the confidentiality of the statistics.
(6)
At any time when a Council determines it appropriate to consider new information from a State or Federal agency or from a Council advisory body, the Council shall give comparable consideration to new information offered at that time by interested members of the public. Interested parties shall have a reasonable opportunity to respond to new data or information before the Council takes final action on conservation and management measures.
(j) Disclosure of financial interest and recusal
(1) For the purposes of this subsection—
(A) the term “affected individual” means an individual who—
(B)
the term “designated official” means a person with expertise in Federal conflict-of-interest requirements who is designated by the Secretary, in consultation with the Council, to attend Council meetings and make determinations under paragraph (7)(B).
(2) Each affected individual must disclose any financial interest held by—
(C)
any organization (other than the Council) in which that individual is serving as an officer, director, trustee, partner, or employee;
(3) The disclosure required under paragraph (2) shall be made—
(A)
in the case of an affected individual referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i), before appointment by the Secretary; and
(B)
in the case of an affected individual referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(ii), within 45 days of taking office.
(4)
An affected individual referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(ii) must update his or her disclosure form at any time any such financial interest is acquired, or substantially changed, by any person referred to in paragraph (2)(A), (B), or (C).
(5) The financial interest disclosures required by this subsection shall—
(A)
be made on such forms, in accordance with such procedures, and at such times, as the Secretary shall by regulation prescribe;
(C)
be kept on file by the Secretary for use in reviewing determinations under paragraph (7)(B) and made available for public inspection at reasonable hours.
(6)
The participation by an affected individual referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(ii) in an action by a Council during any time in which that individual is not in compliance with the regulations prescribed under paragraph (5) may not be treated as cause for the invalidation of that action.
(7)
(A)
After the effective date of regulations promulgated under subparagraph (F) of this paragraph, an affected individual required to disclose a financial interest under paragraph (2) shall not vote on a Council decision which would have a significant and predictable effect on such financial interest. A Council decision shall be considered to have a significant and predictable effect on a financial interest if there is a close causal link between the Council decision and an expected and substantially disproportionate benefit to the financial interest of the affected individual relative to the financial interests of other participants in the same gear type or sector of the fishery. An affected individual who may not vote may participate in Council deliberations relating to the decision after notifying the Council of the voting recusal and identifying the financial interest that would be affected.
(B)
At the request of an affected individual, or upon the initiative of the appropriate designated official, the designated official shall make a determination for the record whether a Council decision would have a significant and predictable effect on a financial interest.
(C)
Any Council member may submit a written request to the Secretary to review any determination by the designated official under subparagraph (B) within 10 days of such determination. Such review shall be completed within 30 days of receipt of the request.
(D)
Any affected individual who does not vote in a Council decision in accordance with this subsection may state for the record how he or she would have voted on such decision if he or she had voted.
(F)
The Secretary, in consultation with the Councils and by not later than one year from October 11, 1996, shall promulgate regulations which prohibit an affected individual from voting in accordance with subparagraph (A), and which allow for the making of determinations under subparagraphs (B) and (C).
(8)
Section 208 of title 18 does not apply to an affected individual referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(ii) during any time in which that individual is in compliance with the regulations prescribed under paragraph (5).
(9)
On January 1, 2008, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Resources on action taken by the Secretary and the Councils to implement the disclosure of financial interest and recusal requirements of this subsection, including identification of any conflict of interest problems with respect to the Councils and scientific and statistical committees and recommendations for addressing any such problems.
(k) Council training program
(1) Training courseWithin 6 months after January 12, 2007, the Secretary, in consultation with the Councils and the National Sea Grant College Program, shall develop a training course for newly appointed Council members. The course may cover a variety of topics relevant to matters before the Councils, including—
(D)
tribal treaty rights and native customs, access, and other rights related to Western Pacific indigenous communities;
(E)
legal requirements of this chapter, including conflict of interest and disclosure provisions of this section and related policies;
(F)
other relevant legal and regulatory requirements, including the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.);
(I)
recreational and commercial fishing information, including fish harvesting techniques, gear types, fishing vessel types, and economics for the fisheries within each Council’s jurisdiction.
(2) Member training
The training course shall be available to both new and existing Council members, staff from the regional offices and regional science centers of the National Marine Fisheries Service, and may be made available to committee or advisory panel members as resources allow.
(3) Required training
Council members appointed after January 12, 2007, shall complete a training course that meets the requirements of this section not later than 1 year after the date on which they were appointed. Any Council member who has completed a training course within 24 months before January 12, 2007, shall be considered to have met the training requirement of this paragraph.
(l) Council coordination committee
The Councils may establish a Council coordination committee consisting of the chairs, vice chairs, and executive directors of each of the 8 Councils described in subsection (a)(1), or other Council members or staff, in order to discuss issues of relevance to all Councils, including issues related to the implementation of this chapter.
(Pub. L. 94–265, title III, § 302, Apr. 13, 1976, 90 Stat. 347; Pub. L. 95–354, § 5(1), Aug. 28, 1978, 92 Stat. 521; Pub. L. 96–561, title II, § 234, Dec. 22, 1980, 94 Stat. 3299; Pub. L. 97–453, § 5, Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2484; Pub. L. 99–659, title I, § 104(a)(1), (b)–(e)(1), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3709, 3710; Pub. L. 101–627, title I, §§ 108(a)–(j), 120(c), Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 4444–4446, 4459; Pub. L. 102–582, title IV, § 403, Nov. 2, 1992, 106 Stat. 4909; Pub. L. 104–297, title I, § 107, Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3570; Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, § 1000(a)(1) [title II, § 210], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1535, 1501A–33; Pub. L. 109–479, title I, §§ 102, 103, Jan. 12, 2007, 120 Stat. 3579; Pub. L. 115–405, § 102(a), Dec. 31, 2018, 132 Stat. 5357; Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(116), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4318.)