Report of the Regional Technical Consultation on Management of Fishing Capacity and Human Resource Development in Support of Fisheries Management in Southeast Asia

Abstract

This document contains the report of the Regional Technical Consultation to review progress and promote the management of fishing capacity and HRD activities in support of the implementation of the Regionalization of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries in Southeast Asian Region. The Consultation was held, from 19-22 September 2006 in Phuket Thailand, by SEAFDEC Secretariat in collaboration with SEAFDEC Member Countries under ASEAN-SEAFDEC Fisheries Consultative Group Mechanism. The Consultation was organized with the aim to develop common approaches to address key areas to be considered in relation to fisheries management as well as a set of recommendations for management of fishing capacity. The major thrust of the Consultation focused on fishing capacity both in management terms and with reference to HRD needs. In terms of HRD on fisheries management recommendations in summary urged for better sharing of expertise, sharing of experiences (model areas/pilot activities), to make us of and build upon existing training materials, networking and increase cooperation to make use of regional and national initiatives/projects as input/factor to facilitate national planning and activities for HRD. For the management of fishing capacity in Southeast Asia, the Consultation provided recommendations for priority issues and suggested actions to be considered by the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Member Countries. This included the need to implement National Plans of Action; recommendations on HRD to support management of fishing capacity at various levels and target groups; and recommendations on regional and bi-lateral cooperation and collaborative arrangements in sub-regional sea areas in order to provide guidance for Member Countries in managing fishing capacity. In relation to the work of SEAFDEC and other regional initiatives strong recommendations for regional cooperation were highlighted and brought forward in the concluding part of the Consultation as priority elements to be considered in planning for future programs and activities. The Consultation saw a “breakthrough” when the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Member Countries for the first time recommended the major long term policy issue or area for collaboration to aim towards the establishment of a “Regional and Sub-regional Fisheries Management Body”. To be able to work along this line, the Consultation recommended that programs to be developed should allow Member Countries to work out solutions on common issues, jointly and/or in sub-groups, and hence in various way gradually build common understandings and trust among Member Countries to pave the way for the legal framework needed to establish a regional fisheries management body.