SEAFDEC Newsletter Vol.41 No.2

Abstract

During the second quarter of 2018, the baton of the AQD Deputy Chief was passed on from Dr. Chihaya Nakayasu who served from 2016 to 2018, to Dr. Koh-ichiro Mori who succeeded Dr. Nakayasu starting April 2018. As the new AQD Deputy Chief, Dr. Mori also serves as the Assistant Japanese Trust Fund Manager for AQD. SEAFDEC organized many events to enhance the sustainability of the fishery resources in the Southeast Asian region. One of the important meetings convened was the “RTC on International Fisheries-related Issues,” which came up with recommendations to address the major international fisheries-related issues that need actions at national, regional, and international levels. The “International Technical Workshop on Tropical Anguillid Eels in Southeast Asia” also substantiated the regional position regarding the conservation of this species as previously discussed during the CITES CoP17, and came up with the Information Document on Tropical Angullid Eels for submission during the 30th Animals Committee Meeting (AC30) in July 2018, and the subsequent CITES CoP18 in May 2019. Other regional events included the “Technical Experts Meeting on Management of Transboundary Species in the Southern Andaman Sea” which identified the available data and information on transboundary species in the Southern Andaman Sea, and the “Regional Technical Meeting on Fisheries Resources Enhancement in Southeast Asia” which updated the plan and implementation of national and regional activities on the enhancement of fishery resources. SEAFDEC continued to conduct several training courses including the “Training Workshop on Sharks and Rays Stock Assessment by Using YPR Model” to understand the stock assessment of major species using the yield per recruit (YPR) assessment model. The training on sustainable fisheries management provided by TD strengthened the understanding of participants on sustainable fisheries management. Furthermore, AQD provided a training course on shrimp and marine fish culture to develop the skills and knowledge of participants on the aquaculture of shrimp and marine fish. One memorable event during the quarter was the Signing Ceremony on the Joint Declaration of Intent for the “Gulf of Thailand Longtail Tuna (Thunnus tonggol) Fishery Improvement Project,” which was a commitment among four partners, namely: Department of Fisheries of Thailand, SEAFDEC, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Thailand), and Thai Tuna Industry Association (TTIA) to conserve and responsibly utilize the fishery resources in the Gulf of Thailand focusing on the longtail tuna.