Projects under the FCG/ASSP Mechanism

Strategy/Project Title Lead

Department Funding Source Strategy I: Securing the sustainability of fisheries to contribute to food security, poverty alleviation and livelihood of people in the region

1. Human Resource Development for Sustainable Fisheries (2013-2019)

This Project has the objective of strengthening the knowledge and skills of key national officers toward sustainable fisheries development, with particular focus on improving fishers’ well-being and incomes through adding value to their catch. Since 2013, the Project has been conducting a series of training courses on Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) for Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Thailand. This was followed by the implementation of activities to improve the well- being and incomes of target communities at the project sites in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Lao PDR. As 2019 is the final year of this Project, a workshop would be organized to summarize the Project results and achievements, and facilitate the exchange of experiences from the activities implemented in different project sites, as well as similar initiatives undertaken by other projects and organizations.

Furthermore, the training materials on EAFM would also be improved in collaboration with partner organizations, such as the USAID and NOAA.

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2. Optimizing Energy Use/Improving Safety Onboard Vessels in Fishing Activities (2013-2019)

With the objectives of developing appropriate technologies, transferring knowledge and enhancing awareness on optimizing energy use in fishing activities, and promoting safety at sea for smallfishing vessels in the Southeast Asian countries, the Project has been implemented since 2013 by making use of the FAO/ILO/IMO publication “Safety

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Recommendations for Decked Fishing Vessels of Less Than 12 Metres in Length and Undecked Fishing Vessels”

translated into the national languages of Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam. In 2019, a regional training on optimizing energy and safety at sea for fishing vessels would be conducted, while improvement of storage facilities on purse seine tuna vessel would also be pursued.

3. Promotion of Sustainable Fisheries Resources Enhancement Measures in Critical Habitats/Fishing Grounds in Southeast Asia (2013-2019)

The Project is aimed at obtaining information on fishery resources enhancement and habitat conservation measures in Southeast Asia; supporting human resources development for implementing fishery resources enhancement and habitat conservation measures;

and promoting good practices on fishery resources enhancement and habitat conservation measures suitable for the region. During the Project’s final year, which is in 2019, a workshop/experts consultation on suitable measures for sustainable fisheries resource enhancement and habitat conservation activities would be organized.

Information on the rehabilitation of fisheries resources and habitats/fishing grounds would be disseminated to the stakeholders to enhancing public awareness. Furthermore, a workshop/experts consultation on hilsa resources would be organized for Myanmar and Thailand.

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4. Enhancement of Sustainability of Catadromous Eel Resources in Southeast Asia (2015-2019)

The Project comprises activities that aim to obtain clear understanding of the status of resources, fisheries, and utilization of catadromous eels in the region; improve data collection and statistics of catadromous eel catch in the AMSs; and enhance the knowledge and capacity of the AMSs for the conservation, management and sustainable utilization of catadromous eel resources. Based on the data compiled under this Project during the past years, the workshop to be organized in 2019 intends to come up with guidelines on the conservation, management and sustainable utilization of catadromous eel resources in the region. The guidelines would be promoted in the AMSs to enhance public awareness.

IFRDMD JTF

5. Promotion of Responsible Utilization of Inland Fisheries in Southeast Asia (2015-2019)

The Project is aimed at reviewing the activities and methodologies for promoting inland fisheries in the AMSs; promoting effective inland fisheries management measures in the AMSs; and studying and developing habitat conservation/resources enhancement measures that are suitable for the region. As the Project activities would be continued in 2019, a publication summarizing the features on inland fisheries in the Southeast Asian region would be published, and a workshop would be convened to develop policy recommendations on responsible inland fisheries resources utilization in the region.

IFRDMD JTF

6. Promotion of Countermeasures to Reduce IUU Fishing Activities (2013-2019)

The Project focuses on two approaches toward combating IUU fishing activities in the Southeast Asian region, i.e.

development and promotion of the regional fishing vessels record (RFVR); and strengthening the implementation of Port State Measures (PSM) and other surveillance measures. While updating the RFVR Database for fishing vessels 24 meters in length and over would be updated in 2019, the Project would explore the possibility of enhancing the utilization of the Database and expanding the RFVR to also cover vessels smaller than 24 meters in length. The project would also continue to facilitate regional cooperation and capacity building for AMSs’

officers towards effective implementation of the PSM in the region; as well as to support the promotion of the ASEAN Catch Documentation Scheme (ACDS) in SEAFDEC Member Countries, namely Brunei Darussalam, Viet Nam, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Thailand.

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7. Establishment and Operation of a Regional System of Fisheries Refugia in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand (2016-2020)

The Project is implemented in six participating countries, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam, with the objective of operating and expanding the network of fisheries refugia in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand for improved management of fisheries and critical marine habitats linkages.

In 2019, the fisheries refugia profile reports would be published, including GIS maps and site characterisations of 14 priority refugia sites in the six countries. Activities aimed towards improving the management of critical habitats

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GEF

for fish stocks of transboundary significance via national and regional actions would be continued to strengthen the enabling environment and knowledge-base for fisheries refugia management in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.

8. Offshore Fisheries Resources Exploration in Southeast Asia (2014-2019)

The Project aims to provide technical support to the Member Countries in exploring the under-utilized fishery resources beyond their respective coastal zone through the conduct of fisheries research and oceanographic surveys;

and support human resources development on fisheries and oceanographic research surveys, onboard navigation, and marine engineering training and fish handling onboard fishing vessels. In 2019, a training workshop on tuna stock assessment for yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna and skipjack tuna resources in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas would be organized. In continuing the analysis of the stock structure, a training on the stock structure of tuna using otolith would be organized in Malaysia and Philippines while the otolith samples from Indonesia would be sent to Japan for analysis.

Furthermore, regional activities on improvement of fish handling at sea, onshore and onboard fishing vessels would be carried out.

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9. Enhancing the Compilation and Utilization of Fishery Statistics and Information for Sustainable Development and Management of Fisheries in Southeast Asian Region (2013- 2019)

Sub-project I: Improving the Data Collection of the Commercially-exploited Aquatic and Threatened Species.

The Sub-project is aimed at enhancing the capability of the Member Countries in compiling and utilizing fishery statistics and information on sharks and rays at species level in order to fulfill the Non-detriment Findings (NDFs) documents; supporting the Member Countries in their efforts to develop their respective NPOAs for sharks and rays; and providing scientific evidence for sustainable management of sharks and rays fisheries in the region. In 2019, capacity building on age determination using the vertebra of sharks and rays would be conducted; while sharks and rays data collection would be undertaken at the pilot sites in: Songkhla (Thailand) and Tawau (Sabah, Malaysia) for demersal sharks, and in Cilacap (Indonesia) for pelagic sharks.

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Sub-project II: Facilitating Fisheries Activity Information Gathering through Introduction of Community-based Resources Management/Co-management

The Sub-project aims to review the problems and constraints, and identify the key issues in fisheries data collection in coastal small-scale and inland fisheries at the national level in support of the relevant efforts of the Member Countries. Capacity building would be sustained through the conduct of the on-site training relevant to

“Facilitating Fisheries Information Gathering Through Introduction of Community-based Resources Management/

Co-management” in the Member Countries. In 2019, the Project would be continued at Nam Xouang Reservoir and Khammouane Province in Lao PDR, and at Nam Oon Dam, Sakon Nakhon Province in Thailand. A regional workshop would be organized in 2019 to review the problems and constraints in promoting CBRM/Co-management in coastal small-scale and inland fisheries, and come up with guidelines/toolkit for improving the collection of fisheries information.

10. Comparative Studies for Management of Purse Seine Fisheries in the Southeast Asian Region (2013-2019) The Project is aimed at compiling the CPUE data available in the countries of the region (i.e. Malaysia and Thailand), comparing the purse seine fisheries management systems/

measures including the TAC systems and other management measures in the world, conducting genetic study of a commercially important pelagic species (Amblygaster sirm), and developing management strategies for sustainable purse seine fisheries in the Southeast Asian region. In 2019, a synthesis of the regional information on purse seine fisheries would be continued taking into account the updated data provided by the Member Countries in 2018, while the information on stock levels and appropriate applicable management strategies for sustainable purse seine fisheries in the Southeast Asian region would be compiled. The findings would be published in the Project terminal report.

MFRDMD JTF

11. Research for Enhancement of Sustainable Utilization and Management of Sharks and Rays in the Southeast Asian Region (2015-2019)

The Project has the objectives of training technical officers in the participating Member Countries to enable them to collect taxonomic and biological data on sharks and rays in their respective countries; obtaining genetic information for shark and ray species in the region identified through

MFRDMD JTF

DNA barcoding; and collecting information on the

utilization of sharks and rays in the region for proper fishery management and sustainable utilization. As the compilation of sharks and rays biological information, catch data, and tissue samples would be continued in the participating countries, a workshop on the identification of sharks and rays in the region would be organized in 2019. Report of the survey on fishers’ dependencies, marketing and trade of sharks and rays in Java and Sumatera, Indonesia would also be published.

12. Enhancing Sustainable Utilization and Management Scheme of Tropical Anguillid Eel Resources in Southeast Asia (2017- 2019)

The Project has the overall objective of strengthening and consolidating eel resource management framework for sustainable provision of eel products and management of eel capture fisheries/eel farming in the AMSs. Towards this objective, the activities to be carried out include: survey of catch and aquaculture production statistics in countries having eel fisheries and aquaculture activities; survival rate survey of eel aquaculture; and conduct of regional events to consolidate the project outputs. In 2019, the Project would be continued with the statistical survey on the utilization status of Anguillid eel resources and DNA analysis to clarify the species identification, habitat and species composition of Anguillid eels; and identification of factors that contribute to the low survival rate of juvenile eels.

A series of events would also be conducted, namely: a regional meeting; resources management workshop; and statistics workshop.

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13. SEAFDEC-EU/CITES Sharks Project Phase II (2018-2019) The objective of the second phase of this Project supported by the EU-CITES is to continue supporting the AMSs in the development of the NDF documents to fulfill the CITES provisions for trade in Appendix-II-listed sharks and rays.

As capacity building activities had been conducted in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Viet Nam in 2018, these countries would proceed with the completion of their one-year shark data collection in 2019 to support the development of NDF documents. In 2019, a capacity building activity would also be conducted in the Philippines; and a set of regional references in the development of shark NDFs would be compiled. Information package developed through this project would also be disseminated at relevant regional and international fora including the CoP18-CITES.

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CITES

14. Strengthening the Effective Management Scheme with GIS (Geographic Information System) & RS (Remote Sensing) Technology for Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture at AMS (2019)

The one-year project would comprise activities on the collection and compilation of the amount of catch data by fishing ground and environmental data on the geographical and inland water aquatic organism habitats. Such data would be analyzed to clarify relationship among the geographical and environmental data, and summarized into a document that take into account the results of catch monitoring method using GIS mapping/RS technology.

The project activities would start in 2019 at pilot sites in:

Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Myanmar.

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Strategy II: Supporting the sustainable growth of aquaculture to complement fisheries