(a) The commissioner shall assist in and encourage the formation of qualified regional dive fishery development associations for the purpose of developing dive fisheries in administrative areas of the state in which dive fisheries exist. A regional dive fishery development association is qualified if the commissioner determines that the regional association
(1) is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under AS 10.20;
(2) represents commercial fishermen who participate in each dive fishery in the region; and
(3) possesses a board of directors that
(A) is representative of commercial dive fishermen who fish in each of the significant commercial dive fishing areas in the administrative area;
(B) has a member who is representative of fish processors who process dive fishery resources in the administrative area; and
(C) has a member who is representative of municipalities in the administrative area.
(b) In this section, “administrative area” has the meaning given in AS 43.76.210.