Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 120.djvu/3611

 120 STAT. 3580

Establishment.

Records.

VerDate 14-DEC-2004

12:05 Jul 13, 2007

PUBLIC LAW 109–479—JAN. 12, 2007

‘‘(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.’’. (b) SCIENTIFIC AND STATISTICAL COMMITTEES.—Section 302(g) (16 U.S.C. 1852(g)) is amended— (1) by striking so much of subsection (g) as precedes paragraph (2) and inserting the following: ‘‘(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. ‘‘(C) Members appointed by the Councils to the scientific and statistical committees shall be Federal employees, State employees, academicians, or independent experts and shall have strong scientific or technical credentials and experience. ‘‘(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). ‘‘(F) In addition to the provisions of section 302(f)(7), the Secretary shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, pay a stipend to members of the scientific and statistical committees or advisory panels who are not employed by the Federal Government or a State marine fisheries agency. ‘‘(G) A science and statistical committee shall hold its meetings in conjunction with the meeting of the Council, to the extent practicable.’’. (2) by striking ‘‘other’’ in paragraph (2); and (3) by resetting the left margin of paragraphs (2) through (5) 2 ems from the left. (c) COUNCIL FUNCTIONS.—Section 302(h) (16 U.S.C. 1852(h)) is amended— (1) by striking ‘‘authority, and’’ in paragraph (5) and inserting ‘‘authority;’’; (2) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (7); and

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