(1) With effect from such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf, there shall be established for the purposes of this Act, an Authority to be called the Marine Products Export Development Authority.
(2) The Authority shall be a body corporate by the name aforesaid, having perpetual succession and a common seal, with power to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable, and to contract, and shall by the said name sue and be sued.
(3) The Authority shall consist of the following members, namely:--
(a) a Chairman to be appointed by the Central Government;
(b) the Director of Marine Products Export Development, ex-officio;
(c) three members of Parliament of whom two shall be elected by the House of the People and one by the Council of States;
(d) five members to represent respectively the Ministries of the Central Government dealing with
(i) agriculture,
(ii) finance,
(iii) foreign trade,
(iv) industry, and
(v) shipping and transport;
(e) such number of other members not exceeding twenty as the Central Government may think expedient, to be appointed by that Government by notification in the Official Gazette from among persons who are in its opinion capable of representing--
(i) the Governments of the States or Union territories having a sea-coast;
(ii) the interests of owners of fishing vessels, processing plants or storage premises for marine products and conveyances used for the transport of marine products;
(iii) the interests of dealers;
(iv) the interests of persons employed in the marine products industry;
(v) the interests of persons employed in research institutions engaged in the researches connected with the said industry; and
(vi) such other persons or class of persons who, in the opinion of the Central Government, ought to be represented on the Authority.
(4) The number of persons to be appointed as members from each of the categories specified in clause (e) of sub-section (3), the term of office of the members other than the member referred to in clause (b) of that sub-section, and the manner of filling vacancies among, and the procedure to be followed in the discharge of their functions by the members shall be such as may be prescribed.
(5) Any officer of the Central Government, not being a member of the Authority, when deputed by that Government in this behalf, shall have the right to attend meetings of the Authority and take part in the proceedings thereof but shall not be entitled to vote.
(6) The Authority shall elect from among its members a Vice-Chairman who shall exercise such of the powers and perform such of the functions of the Chairman as may be prescribed or as may be delegated to him by the Chairman.