50 CFR § 600.205-600.250 - Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions - Council Membership.

This Subpart of Title 50 of the Federal Code of Regulations concerns the appointment of and conduct by members to Regional Fishery Management Councils created by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Only a full-time state employee of the state agency responsible for marine and/or anadromous fisheries shall be appointed by a constituent state Governor as the principal state official for purposes of section 302(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA). ) Each year, the 3-year terms for approximately one-third of the appointed members of the Councils expire. The Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) will appoint or new members or will reappoint seated members to another term to fill the seats being vacated. There are two categories of seats to which voting members are appointed: "Obligatory" and "At-large". Obligatory seats are state specific. Each constituent state is entitled to one seat on the Council on which it is a member, except that the State of Alaska is entitled to five seats and the State of Washington is entitled to two seats on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. At-large seats are regional. The MSA also provides for appointment, by the Secretary, of one treaty Indian tribal representative to the Pacific Fishery Management Council. The Secretary must, 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 in the Council’s area of authority. Further, the Secretary must take action to ensure, to the extent practicable, that those persons dependent for their livelihood upon the fisheries in the Council’s area of authority are fairly represented as voting members on the Councils.