16 U.S.C. § 953 — General Advisory Committee and Scientific Advisory Subcommittee

(a) General Advisory Committee. (1)(A) After consulting the Secretary of State, the Secretary must appoint no more than 25 people representing groups concerned with Convention fisheries, including nongovernmental conservation organizations, with the most practical equal balance among groups. Members may join the United States delegation and working groups as Commission rules and delegation space allow. (B) The chairs of the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Highly Migratory Fisheries Advisory Subpanel and the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Advisory Committee are ex officio members because of their Council positions. (C) Members serve three-year terms and may be reappointed. (D) The Committee must be invited to all nonexecutive meetings of the United States delegation and may examine and speak about proposed Commission investigations, reports, recommendations, and regulations. (E) The Committee sets its organization and procedures under this chapter, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and the Convention, and must publish them. Except in executive session, its meetings are public, with timely public notice. Chapter 10 of title 5 does not apply. (2) The Secretary and Secretary of State must provide relevant fisheries and international fishery-agreement information. (3)(A) The Secretary must timely provide administrative and technical support needed for effective functioning. (B) Members serve without pay, but while away from home or their regular business location for meetings they receive travel expenses, including per diem instead of subsistence, like intermittent Government employees under section 5703 of title 5. They are not Federal employees except for injury compensation and tort-claims liability under chapter 81 of title 5 and chapter 171 of title 28. (b) Scientific Advisory Subcommittee. (1) After consulting the Secretary of State, the Secretary must appoint 5 to 15 qualified scientists with balanced public and private representation, including nongovernmental conservation organizations. (2)(A) The Subcommittee advises the Committee and Commissioners about ecosystem conservation, sustainable use of living marine resources related to the eastern Pacific tuna fishery, and long-term conservation and management of living marine-resource stocks in the eastern tropical Pacific. (B) At the request of the Committee, Commissioners, or Secretary, it performs functions and gives assistance required by United States agreements for this fishery, including the International Dolphin Conservation Program. This may include (i) reviewing Program data, including Commission data; (ii) recommending and coordinating research about ecosystems, fishing practices, and gear technology, including selective, environmentally safe, cost-effective gear; (iii) recommending and participating in required scientific reviews and assessments; (iv) consulting other experts; and (v) recommending regular, timely, complete data exchange among Program parties and each nation’s National Scientific Advisory Committee or equivalent. (3) The Subcommittee must be invited to send representatives to all nonexecutive meetings of the United States sections and Committee, with full opportunity to examine and speak about proposed scientific investigations, reports, and recommendations of the Commission. Its representatives may attend Commission meetings under Commission rules.