Report of the Expert Meeting on Fishing Vessel Registration

Abstract

The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida, hosted the “Expert Meeting on Fishing Vessel Registration” 30 June - 2 July in Phuket, Thailand. The SEAFDEC Secretariat invited regional and international experts in the fields related to fishing vessel registration. The meeting was attended by experts from both fisheries agencies as well as maritime transport agencies. The meeting saw representation by eight ASEAN countries Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore plus Australia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. International organisations were represented by two resource persons, an IT expert on vessel registration supported by the Swedish Board of Fisheries (SBF) and an expert from International Maritime Organization, IMO. The main objectives of the meeting were to review the existing registration systems in the region (focusing on both large and small scale fisheries), to discuss problems and benefits linked to these systems, and to follow up on the requirements for fishing vessel registration within respective country, and the region, in support of fisheries management and improved cooperation between responsible agencies.