Membership of the Commission entitles a State to participate in and vote on decisions of the Commission.

The Commission operates principally on the basis of consensus with all Members having equal rights in the decision-making process.

Membership of the Commission is open to the States which originally participated in the adoption of the Convention (Article VII) and any State which has acceded to the Convention pursuant to Article XXIX may apply to become a Member of the Commission if it is actively conducting research or harvesting activities in the Convention Area.

Subject to certain provisions, the Convention also allows for regional economic integration organisations to become Members of the Commission.

An Acceding State wishing to become a Member of the Commission must submit a statement to the Depository (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia), setting down the basis upon which it is seeking to participate in the work of the Commission.

 It must also indicate its willingness to accept conservation measures that have been adopted by the Commission and which are currently in force.

Copies of the statement are distributed to all Members and, subject to various procedural steps (Article VII.2.(d)), the State becomes a Member of the Commission.

There are 25 Members of the Commission and 10 additional States have acceded to the Convention.

A number of other States implement some of the Commission’s conservation measures, most notably the Catch Documentation Scheme.