Sec. 25. 12 MRSA §6080, as amended by PL 1999, c. 156, §5, is further amended to read:

§6080. Aquaculture Advisory Council

1. Appointment; composition. The Maine Salmon Aquaculture Advisory Council, referred to in this section as the "council" and established by Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 57-C, consists of 4 5 members. The commissioner or the commissioner's designee is a nonvoting, ex officio member of the council. The commissioner shall appoint 3 4 members from the State's salmon aquaculture industry. No more than 2 of the appointed members may represent similar segments of the State's salmon aquaculture industry.

2. Term. Council members serve for 3 years and continue serving until a successor is duly appointed and qualified. In the case of a vacancy, the commissioner shall promptly fill the vacancy.

3. Purpose. The council shall make recommendations to the commissioner concerning expenditures from the Salmon Aquaculture Monitoring, Research and Development Fund for the purposes described under section 6078 6078-A, subsections 4 3 and 7 4.

4. Chair and officers. The council annually shall choose one of its members to serve as chair for a one-year term. The council may select other officers and designate their duties.

5. Meetings. The council shall meet at least once each year. It may also meet at other times at the call of the chair or the chair's designee or the commissioner or the commissioner's designee. The council may conduct a meeting by means of a conference call linking 2 or more members of the council.

Sec. 26. Transfers from existing accounts. The department may transfer the existing balance and encumbrances from the Salmon Aquaculture Monitoring, Research and Development Fund at any time prior to its lapsing to the Aquaculture Monitoring, Research and Development Fund in order to fund any of the activities outlined in this section.