ASEAN Catch Documentation Scheme (ACDS)

Abstract

ASEAN Catch Documentation Scheme (or ACDS) is one of Fisheries management tools to improve traceability for marine capture Fisheries and enhance intra-regional and international trade of the ASEAN Member States (AMSs). The development of ACDS formed part of the ASEAN Guidelines for Preventing the Entry of Fish and Fishery Products from IUU Fishing Activities into the Supply Chain, adopted under the ASEAN Mechanism, and was led by Singapore as a ASEAN lead country since May 2014. Developed through a series of Regional Consultations, the ACDS was endorsed at the 25th ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Fisheries (25ASWGFi) in May 2017 in Singapore. Subsequently, the ACDS concept was also supported by the SOM-AMAF in the same year. For the implementation of the ACDS by AMSs, it was suggested at several regional forums and stakeholder consultations in March 2016 that appropriate system of the ACDS is needed, both in electronic format and manual system to address the requirements of the SEAFDEC Member Countries. Moreover, The SEAFDEC Council of Directors also sugguested that SEAFDEC should assure the appliability of the electronic ACDS system and ensure that it is beneficial to relevant stakeholders, e.g. operators of fishing vessels, suppliers, seafood processors for export, and traders.