(a) There is established a Lobster Restoration Advisory Committee to advise the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection on matters relating to the development of a lobster v-notch conservation program to enhance recovery and rebuilding of lobster stock in Long Island Sound.

(b) The committee shall be comprised of the following eleven members: (1) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, or the commissioner’s designee, (2) the Commissioner of Agriculture, or the commissioner’s designee, (3) the state’s administrative commissioner to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, (4) the state’s legislative commissioner to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, (5) the state’s commissioner who has been appointed by the Governor to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, (6) a representative of the Southern New England Fishermen’s and Lobsterman’s Association, (7) a representative of the Connecticut Commercial Lobstermen’s Association, (8) a representative of the Long Island Western End Lobstermen’s Association, (9) a representative of the state vocational aquaculture school known as the Sound School in New Haven, (10) a representative of a state vocational aquaculture school in Bridgeport, and (11) a representative of the Connecticut Seafood Council.

(c) The committee shall be appointed jointly by the Commissioners of Energy and Environmental Protection and Agriculture, after receiving appointment nominations from each group listed in subsection (b) of this section, not more than thirty days after May 26, 2006. The committee shall elect its own chairman and such other officers and adopt such rules of procedure as it may deem appropriate. Members of said committee shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses in the performance of their duties.