Thrust V: Addressing International Fisheries Related Issues from a Regional Perspective 20 Assistance of Capacity Building in the Region to Address
Step 3: Result reporting
IV. Working Scheme for the Collaborative Research with the Member Countries
1) Each Member Country is requested to prepare her research proposal, if any, taking into account of the short or medium-term activities. The proposal should be presented to the Eligible Countries Committee and/or Operations Committee to consider the cruise plans for the M.V. SEAFDEC 2.As a matter of principle, the staying period for the operation of the M.V. SEAFDEC 2 in the national waters could be limited to a maximum period of one month, taking into account of the availability also of the M.V.
SEAFDEC 2 for the other Member Countries.
2) Through consultation with the Operations Committee, each proposal from the Member Countries and Departments should be reviewed and finalized based on priority, practicability, readiness and financial background of the proposed research programs. The schedule of the research program of the country finalized by the Operations Committee could be adjusted to cater to the next priority country’s needs or could be postponed until financial arrangements become ready by the requesting country.
3) Two months prior to the implementation of the individual research program, TD staff in charge of the operation will communicate through E-mail/or visit each beneficiary Member Country to discuss with the concerned staff on the detailed arrangements of the cruise and research program. The concerned members of the Regional Fisheries Policy Network (RFPN) could be mobilized for effective communication with their respective countries, as the case may be.
4) With regards to data sharing, Member Country agreed that some basic data collected onboard during the survey should be shared with SEAFDEC/TD. The data to be shared should be finalized at the planning meeting of the cruise survey between the requesting country and SEAFDEC. Such basic data will be kept confidential and to be used only for the SEAFDEC regional database and for future regional analysis.
5) Preliminary cruise report including comments on the immediate impacts of the utilization of the M.V.
SEAFDEC 2 as well as the results of the national research program should be submitted to SEAFDEC/TD within six months after the cruise.
Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
138
Appendix 15 of Annex 4
PROJECT DOCUMENT
Project id: 011307 Program
Categories:
Programs under the Fisheries Consultative Group of the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Strategic Partnership (FCG/ASSP) Mechanism
Project Title: Offshore Fisheries Resources Exploration in Southeast Asia
Program Thrust: IV Total Duration: 5 years (2013 to 2017) Lead Department: Training Department Lead Country: Vietnam
Project Sponsor: Japanese Trust Fund Project Partner:
Proposed Budget: This year budget: USD 52,500
Prepared by
Worawit Wanchana, Head of Capture Fisheries
Technology Division Project Leader Mr. Sayan Promjinda, Fishing Gear Technologist
1. INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND
Over the past few years, a number of countries in the region have increased their interest to promote the exploration of offshore fisheries resources to reduce the pressure of over-exploited fisheries resources in nearshore areas in their EEZ, at the same time to find alternative source of fisheries resources. This is in line with the Resolution and Plan of Action on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security for the ASEAN Regional Towards 2020 as mentioned in the Plan of Action # 18 “Investigate the potential of under-utilized fisheries resources and promote their exploitation in a precautionary manner based upon analysis of the best available scientific information”. In this connection, this project will provide technical support to the Member Countries in exploring the under-utilized fisheries resources including offshore areas in their respective EEZ waters.
Therefore, SEAFDEC in close collaboration with the Member Countries has supported exploration of fishery/living resources in the EEZ of the countries in SEA. The overall aims of this project are to encourage Member Countries to collect the information on the offshore fishery resources in terms of research and training facilities using M.V. SEAFDEC2, and to build human resources capacity for offshore fishery resources exploration.
2. PROJECT
2.1 Goal/Overall Objectives and Performance Indicators:
Ultimate goal of this project is to facilitate sustainable development of new/existing source of fisheries resources offshore waters in the EEZ of the Member Countries through human resources and institutional capacity enhancement for offshore fisheries resources exploration. In the process of project implementation, national/sub-regional plan(s) of offshore fisheries resources exploration will be developed.
The overall objective of the project is to enhance knowledge and skill of fisheries officials of the Member Countries on exploration of offshore fisheries resources. It includes:
1) To enhance human resources capacity on offshore fisheries resources exploration in Southeast Asian countries;
2) To provide technical supports1to the Member Countries on offshore fisheries resources exploration;
and
3) To train fisheries officials of the Member Countries on the post-harvest fish handling techniques2.
1 Knowledge, guidelines, technical advice, survey equipments and facilities, etc.
2 Based on the facilities onboard M.V. SEAFDEC2
139 2.2 Expected Outcomes and Outputs:
It is envisaged that the result from the project implementation, such as the national/sub-regional plan of research/study on offshore fisheries resources exploration will be published and shared among the relevant governmental agencies for appropriate management establishment.
2.3 Project Description/Framework
Currently, attempts of some countries in the Southeast Asia have been made to expand the fishing more towards the offshore in their EEZ areas where fisheries resources are still under-utilized as for the alternative fisheries resources. Over the years, SEAFDEC/TD has also initiated and supported technically to the Member Countries on the exploration of fishery resources in their EEZ waters through various programs of activities. However, the development of such under-utilized fishery resources should be carried out with the view of international concerns on the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF). In this connection, SEAFDEC/TD had initiated a series of activities aiming at building human resources and institutional capacities of the Member Countries on exploration of fishery resources with the basis of EAF.
During the past few years, TD organized a number of technical meetings, workshops and trainings related to fisheries resource exploration. The outputs from such activities could be referred to as technical references to facilitate development of the offshore fishery resources in the EEZ of the Member Countries.
Main activities under this project include training activities and technical supports from TD on offshore fisheries resources exploration in EEZ of the Member Countries through human resources capacity building programs including sea trial, and cruise survey of the Member Countries using M.V. SEAFDEC2 and other research vessels if necessary. The project will also facilitate a joint collaboration research survey in the area where fisheries resources are sharing among the countries in Southeast Asia.
3. PROGRESS/ACHIEVEMENTS OF ACTIVITIES IN THE YEAR 2013 3.1 Activities Achievements in the Year 2013
Achievements based on Activities
Duration Remarks Activity 1: Organization
of the regional training course on offshore fisheries resources exploration
Jan ~ 1.1 Design of the training course
Project staff designed the program activities in 2013 (including regional offshore workshop, and regional training course on improvement of tuna handling) based upon the recommendations and current situation of the countries in the region.
Nov
Dec
1.2 Training course for researchers
1.2.1 Training course or regional workshop on offshore fisheries resource survey
The regional workshop on offshore fisheries resources survey in Southeast Asia was organized in Bangkok in November 2013.
Research works and initiatives on offshore fisheries resources exploration currently conducting in the Southeast Asian waters were updated/ reviewed.
Member Countries were encouraged to formulate cruise plan of offshore fisheries resource survey through utilization of M.V.
SEAFDEC 2.
1.2.2 Training course on improvement of post-harvest fish handling at sea
The regional training course on improvement of tuna handling was organized in General Santos – the Philippines from 11 to 13 December 2013. The training was designed for fisheries officials who involve in promoting the reduction of post-harvest loss in tuna catch landing, in particular for hand-line fishing gear which is commonly used in Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia (for example in Sulu and Sulawesi Seas). Main resource person of the
Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
140 Achievements based on
Activities
Duration Remarks training course was tuna fish handling expert from Fisheries Research Agency of Japan.
Activity 2: Modification of the offshore sampling gears and their handbook
Nov 2.1 Review of the current handbook and publication 2.2 Modification/revision of the handbook
The existing handbook and publications produced by SEAFDEC, countries, other relevant agencies were reviewed during the workshop in November 2013. Revision or re-packaging such materials will be made based on the recommendation as discussed during the workshop.
Activity 3: Technical support of TD to the cruise survey
Aug
Aug
Aug ~
Aug ~
3.1 Support for developing the survey plan and to monitor the progress of the survey
Project facilitated the development of cruise plan for joint research on tuna in Sulu Sulawesi seas by organizing the “Sub-regional Technical Meeting for Development of Joint Research Program for Tuna Research Survey in Sulu-Sulawesi Seas” held in KL – Malaysia from 20 to 21 August. The meeting could come up with the draft plan of the research cruise survey in Sulu-Sulawesi Sea using M.V. SEAFDEC2 under the cost-sharing scheme with the target tuna species including yellow-fin, big-eye, and skipjack tunas.
In addition, the meeting also agreed to establish sub-regional working groups for data collection and analysis including the representative from each participating countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippine), to jointly work on the following topics in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas: (i) tuna stock assessment; (ii) study on FADs; and (iii) larvae and spawning grounds of tunas (3 species as mentioned above).
3.2 Technical staff of TD join the cruise survey
No activity in 2013 due to the postponement of Vietnam on the cruise survey using M.V. SEAFDEC2.
3.3 Establishment of mechanism for sharing data of the results from the survey
The establishment of mechanism for sharing data of the results from the survey in Sulu-Sulawesi Seas was discussed at the workshop in KL in August.
3.4 Publications of the meeting and survey reports
The report of the meeting held by the project in August was published and disseminated to the participants (Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines) and other Member Countries.
3.2 Evaluation of the Project Outcomes Till the Year 2013 3.2.1 Theme/Program Thrust and Issues:
(1) Theme/Program Thrust:
Exploration of alternative/under-utilized fisheries resources in offshore waters in the Southeast Asian countries.
(2) Issues in the region at the beginning of the study:
- Significant depletion of coastal fisheries resources in the Southeast Asian Countries
- Effort of many countries in the region have been made in reducing the pressure to coastal resources through development of fisheries in offshore areas
- Lack of technical information on the potential fisheries resources in the offshore areas in Southeast Asian waters
141 3.2.2 Expected Final Goal of the Project:
- Information available for potential fishery resources in offshore areas in the Southeast Asian region; and - A set of recommendations for the medium- and long-term development and management plan for exploration
of offshore fishery resources in the Southeast Asian region 3.2.3 “Steps” Toward Achieving Final Goal:
Step 1: Review and gather information on the national, regional, and international initiatives related to offshore