‘‘(B) otherwise applicable regulatory proc-
esses are not sufficient to allow timely and effi-
cient implementation of conservation and man-
agement measures in response to new informa-
tion; and 
‘‘(C) notice of the conservation and manage-
ment measures is provided appropriate to the 
significance of the expected impacts on affected 
fishery resources and on the participants in the 
fishery. 
‘‘(4) Any final agency action taken pursuant to 
the alternative procedural mechanism must be 
promptly published in the Federal Register.’’. 
(i) COUNCIL MEETING NOTICE.— 
(1) REGULAR AND EMERGENCY MEETINGS.—The 
first sentence of section 302(i)(2)(C) (16 U.S.C. 
1852(i)(2)(C)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘published in local news-
papers’’ and inserting ‘‘provided by any means 
that will result in wide publicity (except that e- 
mail notification and Web site postings alone are 
not sufficient)’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘fishery) and such notice 
may be given by such other means as will result 
in wide publicity.’’ and inserting ‘‘fishery).’’. 
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(2) CLOSED
MEETINGS.—Section 302(i)(3)(B) 
(16 U.S.C. 1852(i)(3)(B)) is amended by striking 
‘‘notify local newspapers’’ and inserting ‘‘provide no-
tice by any means that will result in wide publicity’’. 
(j) CARIBBEAN
COUNCIL
JURISDICTION.—Section 
302(a)(1)(D) (16 U.S.C. 1852(a)(1)(D)) is amended by in-
serting ‘‘and of commonwealths, territories, and possessions 
of the United States in the Caribbean Sea’’ after ‘‘seaward 
of such States’’. 
(k) COUNCIL COORDINATION COMMITTEE.—Section 
302 (16 U.S.C. 1852) is further amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(l) 
COUNCIL
COORDINATION
COMMITTEE.—The 
Councils may establish a Council coordination committee 
to discuss issues of relevance to all Councils, including 
issues related to the implementation of this Act. The com-
mittee shall consist of the chairs, vice chairs, and executive 
directors of each of the Councils described in subsection 
(a)(1), or other Council members or staff.’’. 
SEC. 6. ECOSYSTEM-BASED FISHERY MANAGEMENT. 
(a) POLICY.—Section 2(c) (16 U.S.C. 1851(c)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end 
of paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (7) and inserting ‘‘; and’’, and by adding at the end 
the following: 
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‘‘(8) to support and encourage efforts to under-
stand the interactions of species in the marine envi-
ronment and the development of ecosystem-based ap-
proaches to fisheries conservation and management 
that will lead to better stewardship and sustainability 
of the Nation’s coastal fishery resources and fishing 
communities.’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF RESEARCH.—Section 404(c) 
(16 U.S.C. 1881c(c)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(5) The interaction of species in the marine en-
vironment, and the development of ecosystem-based 
approaches to fishery conservation and management 
that will lead to better stewardship and sustainability 
of coastal fishery resources.’’. 
(c) REGULATIONS DEFINING TERMS.—The Secretary 
of Commerce shall, in conjunction with the Regional Fish-
ery Management Councils and based on the recommenda-
tions of the Ecosystems Principles Advisory Panel in the 
report entitled ‘‘Ecosystem-based Fishery Management’’ 
and dated April 1999, and after provision of notice and 
an opportunity for public comment, issue regulations that 
establish definitions of the terms ‘‘ecosystem’’ and ‘‘marine 
ecosystem’’ for purposes of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). 
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(d) REGIONAL ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH.—Section 406 
(16 U.S.C. 1882) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(f) REGIONAL ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH.— 
‘‘(1) STUDY.—Within 180 days after the date of 
enactment of the American Fisheries Management 
and Marine Life Enhancement Act, the Secretary, in 
consultation with the Councils, shall undertake and 
complete a study on the state of the science for ad-
vancing the concepts and integration of ecosystem 
considerations in regional fishery management. The 
study should build upon the recommendations of the 
advisory panel and include— 
‘‘(A) recommendations for scientific data, 
information and technology requirements for un-
derstanding ecosystem processes, and methods for 
integrating such information from a variety of 
Federal, State, and regional sources; 
‘‘(B) recommendations for processes for in-
corporating broad stake holder participation; 
‘‘(C) recommendations for processes to ac-
count for effects of environmental variation on 
fish stocks and fisheries; and 
‘‘(D) a description of existing and devel-
oping Council efforts to implement ecosystem ap-
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proaches, including lessons learned by the Coun-
cils. 
‘‘(2) IDENTIFICATION OF MARINE ECOSYSTEMS; 
RESEARCH PLAN.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Within one year after 
the date of the publication of the study under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary, in conjunction 
with the regional science centers of the National 
Marine Fisheries Service and the Councils, 
shall— 
‘‘(i) identify specific marine ecosystems 
within each region for which a Council is 
established by section 302(a); and 
‘‘(ii) develop and begin to implement 
regional research plans to address the infor-
mation deficiencies identified by the study. 
‘‘(B) 
RESEARCH
PLANS.—The 
research 
plans shall suggest reasonable timeliness and cost 
estimates for the collection of the required infor-
mation. 
‘‘(C) REPORTS.—The Secretary shall report 
to the Congress annually on the progress of the 
regional research plans. 
‘‘(3) AGENCY TECHNICAL ADVICE AND ASSIST-
ANCE, REGIONAL PILOT PROGRAMS.—The Secretary is 
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