(a) The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development shall assist in and encourage the formation of a qualified regional seafood development association for each seafood development region identified in (b) of this section for the purpose of promoting and marketing Alaska seafood products harvested in the region. The commissioner shall designate the first organization to apply and qualify under this subsection for recognition as the qualified association for a region to be the qualified regional seafood development association for that seafood development region if the commissioner determines that the organization

(1) is established for the following purposes:

(A) promotion of seafood and seafood by-products that are harvested in the region and processed for sale;

(B) promotion of improvements to the commercial fishing industry and infrastructure in the seafood development region;

(C) establishment of education, research, advertising, or sales promotion programs for seafood products harvested in the region;

(D) preparation of market research and product development plans for the promotion of seafood and their by-products that are harvested in the region and processed for sale;

(E) cooperation with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and other public or private boards, organizations, or agencies engaged in work or activities similar to the work of the organization, including entering into contracts for joint programs of consumer education, sales promotion, quality control, advertising, and research in the production, processing, or distribution of seafood harvested in the region;

(F) cooperation with commercial fishermen, fishermen's organizations, seafood processors, the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, the Fisheries Industrial Technology Center, state and federal agencies, and other relevant persons and entities to investigate market reception to new seafood product forms and to develop commodity standards and future markets for seafood products;

(2) provides for representation of commercial fishing permit holders for each fishery in the region that is subject to a seafood development tax levied under AS 43.76.350 - 43.76.399 on the board of directors of the organization;

(3) provides for membership in the organization by any commercial fisherman who holds a commercial fishing permit for a fishery that is conducted in the region and by other persons and groups in the region who wish to be members of the organization; and

(4) is organized as a nonprofit corporation under the laws of the state for the purpose of marketing and promoting seafood products taken in the region and seafood products taken in fisheries subject to a seafood development tax levied under AS 43.76.350 - 43.76.399.

(b) Seafood development regions are established for each of the following regions of the state and are made up of the designated commercial fishing management areas established by the Board of Fisheries in accordance with the boundaries of those areas as adopted by the Board of Fisheries:

(1) Southeast Alaska seafood development region - Southeastern Alaska area and Yakutat area;

(2) Prince William Sound seafood development region - Prince William Sound area;

(3) Cook Inlet seafood development region - Cook Inlet area;

(4) Kodiak seafood development region - Kodiak area;

(5) Alaska Peninsula seafood development region - Alaska Peninsula area;

(6) Aleutian Islands seafood development region - Aleutian Islands area;

(7) Chignik seafood development region - Chignik area;

(8) Atka-Amlia Islands seafood development region - Atka-Amlia Islands area;

(9) Bristol Bay seafood development region - Bristol Bay area;

(10) Kuskokwim seafood development region - Kuskokwim area;

(11) Yukon-Northern seafood development region - Yukon-Northern area and Kotzebue area;

(12) Norton Sound-Port Clarence seafood development region - Norton Sound-Port Clarence area.

(c) An organization may be designated as the qualified regional seafood development association for more than one seafood development region.

(d) A qualified regional seafood development association for a fishery may request state financial assistance from the department to aid the seafood development programs of the association.

(e) A qualified regional seafood development association requesting state financial assistance shall submit an annual financial report to the department on a form provided by the department. The department may require that a qualified regional seafood development association use a uniform system of accounting. A qualified regional seafood development association requesting state assistance shall submit an annual budget to the department on or before a date specified by the department.

(f) The department may adopt regulations necessary to implement this section.

(g) In this section, “fishery” has the meaning given in AS 16.43.990.