The Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food holds the presidency of the Council. The Council also has an advisory commission composed of representatives of the labor unions and private firms.

The Federal Fisheries Council is responsible for establishing national fisheries management, development and research policy, establishing total allowable catches (TAC) by species based on the maximum sustainable yields estimated by INIDEP (National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development), establishing annual catch quotas by vessel, species, fishing area, and fleet type, approving commercial and experimental fisheries permits, advising the implementation authority in international negotiations, establishing fishing rights and setting royalties, and regulating the artisinal fisheries sector by establishing a reserve quota for this group. 

The Federal Fisheries Law –Federal Law N° 24.922- establishes the Federal Fisheries Council as the main body governing national fisheries policy. The Council is composed of the Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, one representative from each of the coastal provincies (Buenos aires, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz, Tierra del Fuego, Antartic and Islands of the South Atlantic); one representative from the Secretariat of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, one representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; and two representatives designated by the President of Argentina.