ANNEXES
ANNEX 4 The Second ASEAN-SEAFDEC Senior Official Meeting
The Best Drawing from Myanmar
Proceedings: Volume I
71
THE SECOND ASEAN-SEAFDEC SENIOR OFFICIAL MEETING
AGENDA AND TIMETABLE 22 November 2001 (Thursday)
0830-0900 Registration
0900-0915 1. Opening of the Meeting 2. Election of Chairman 3. Adoption of the agenda 0915-0930 4. Business Arrangements
0930-1000 5. Report of the Technical Session
1000-1030 6. Adoption of the ‘Plan of Action on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security for the ASEAN Region’
1045-1130 7. Preparation for the Ministerial Session 7.1 Program for the Ministerial Session
7.2 Review of the Final Draft ‘Resolution on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security for the ASEAN Region’ and make recommendation to the Ministers
7.3 The Joint Ministerial Press Release
7.4 Report of the Chairman of the 2nd SOM to the Ministerial Session 1130-1145 8. Other Matters
1145-1200 9. Closing of the Meeting
REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF ASEAN-SEAFDEC SENIOR OFFICIAL MEETING
(presented at the Ministerial Session of the Conference)
Your Excellency, Shucheep Hansaward, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand, Your Excellencies, ASEAN Ministers for Fisheries, Your Excellency, Senior Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honor to present, on behalf of the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Senior Officials, the report on the activities of the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Conference on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security in the New Millennium: “Fish for the People” which was held here from 19 to 23 November 2001, as well as the key conclusions and recommendations reached at the Technical Session of the Conference and the Second Senior Official Meeting, held on 22 November 2001.
Your Excellencies,
With the view to achieving sustainable fisheries and increasing supplies of fish and fishery products in the ASEAN region, I would like also to take this opportunity to report the preparation and development of a proposed Resolution on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security for the ASEAN Region and our discussion at the Senior Official Meeting.
ASEAN-SEAFDEC Conference: “Fish for the People”
72 Your Excellencies,
Since the introduction of modern fishing technology in the 1960s, fish production in Southeast Asia has steadily increased and fisheries have grown into one of the region’s most important economic contributors. According to trade data collected by the ASEAN Secretariat up to September this year, the total export value of fish, crustaceans, molluscs, etc. from the older six Member Countries of ASEAN (namely, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) was approximately US$ 4.16 billion, while the total import value was US$ 1.32 billion. These export and import values would be much higher when including trade values for processed fisheries products and values from the newer ASEAN Members.
Over the past years, however, fisheries resources have become overexploited. The comparison between the export values of 1994 and 2000, although showing increasing trends for exports from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia, those from the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand were decreasing during the period. The overall total export value for all ASEAN Member Countries also shows a similar declining trend from US$ 5.08 billion in 1994 to US$ 4.16 billion in 2000, while the import value over the same period was rather erratic.
The growing demand for fish and fishery products as well as the increasing pressure on ASEAN’s aquatic environment and fisheries resources are posing a threat to regional food security as well as having serious implications for regional trade, employment, income generation, poverty alleviation, and livelihoods of the people.
In order to evaluate fisheries problems and discuss issues of concern to the ASEAN region, as well as to help formulate regional policies to ensure sustainable fisheries and promote collaboration among the concerned parties, the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Conference on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security in the New Millennium: “Fish for the People” is jointly organized by ASEAN and SEAFDEC in collaboration with FAO as well as other organizations, and hosted by the Department of Fisheries of Thailand to promote awareness on sustainable fisheries and its implications to food security in the region.
The overarching theme of the Conference is “Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security”, and this reflects the ASEAN Vision 2020 of “sustainable and equitable growth …(etc)… in an ASEAN where hunger, malnutrition, deprivation and poverty are no longer basic problems”.
The Conference also draws on the Hanoi Plan of Action to implement the ASEAN Vision 2020 in food and agriculture to “enhance food security and global competitiveness of ASEAN’s food products”, while “protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development”.
Your Excellencies,
Prior to the conduct of this six-day Conference, series of national and regional preparatory works and meetings had been undertaken since March 2000 in order to provide background information and facilitate discussion at the Conference.
The Technical Session of the Conference, held from 19 to 23 November attended by more than 700 participants, many of whom had participated-actively in the Technical Panel discussions. These Technical Panels were: (i) Sustainable Fisheries Management I; (ii) Sustainable Fisheries Management II; (iii) Sustainable Aquaculture; and (iv) Sustainable
Proceedings: Volume I
73
Utilization of Fish and Fishery Products. The Technical Session has been successfully conducted, and the major outcome is the Report of the Technical Session of the Conference, which appears as Reference Document No. 01 presented to this Ministerial Session.
The Report contains key recommendations that formed the basis of the Resolution on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security for the ASEAN Region, which the Senior Officials have prepared for consideration and endorsement by this Ministerial Session.
The Resolution, which appears as Working Document No. 03 will be used as the foundation for an improvement in national fisheries policies and a national commitment toward the achievement of sustainable and stable supply of fish and fishery products.
Your Excellencies,
I would like to report that the Senior Official Meeting has also prepared a Plan of Action on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security for the ASEAN Region, appears as Reference Document No. 02, which has been developed based on the issues and topics that have been deliberated through various preparatory works including series of Regional Technical Consultations and National Seminars. The Plan of Action has been considered by all ASEAN- SEAFDEC Member Countries and has taken into consideration the views and inputs from all Member Countries. This Plan of Action will provide the support to the proposed Resolution for the implementation of programs/projects/activities on ASEAN sustainable fisheries development.
Thus, the Senior Official Meeting recommends that the Ministerial Session considers and endorses the Resolution on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security for the ASEAN Region.
Your Excellencies
As your Excellencies are already aware, concurrent to this Conference, an ASEAN- SEAFDEC Millennium Fisheries Exhibition is being held at the Bangkok Convention Center, and has been officially opened on the 21 November 2001. Your Excellencies have visited it yesterday evening. The Exhibition is pivotal to the future of the commercial fishing industry in the region. It also provides opportunities for both private and public sectors to demonstrate new technologies in fisheries and fisheries management.
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Finally, on behalf of the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Senior Officials, I would like to express our esteemed appreciation to the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Member Countries, various international/regional organizations and technical experts from within and outside the region for the support and inputs in realizing the Conference. I further would like to convey our thanks to the Government of Thailand, for the warm hospitality extended to all participants and for the excellent arrangements made for this Meeting and to the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Conference Secretariat and the ASEAN Foundation for their invaluable support and effective contributions to the Meeting.
Thank you.