Fish for the People Vol. 24 No. 2

Abstract

Gender integration is vital in achieving sustainable fisheries and resilient aquaculture systems in Southeast Asia, where women compose nearly half of the small-scale workforce but remain underrepresented. While national strategies are committed to inclusive governance, entrenched social norms, gaps in policy implementation, and a lack of sex-disaggregated data persist. Ultimately, integrating gender across the fisheries value chain is a strategic requirement to enhance community welfare and promote food security in the region.

Policy alignment, gender equality, and regional cooperation are essential for achieving sustainable small-scale fisheries in Southeast Asia and South Asia. One such important tool is the FAO’s Small-scale Fisheries Guidelines, which have been instrumental in raising awareness and fostering a fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable sector. Integrating these principles into national laws and policies has broadened support for community-based management.

Sustaining inland fisheries in Southeast Asia requires moving beyond top-down regulations toward adaptive governance. The Special Area for Conservation and Fish Refugia (SPEECTRA) model provides a practical framework for this shift, demonstrating that successful resource management depends on flexible, ecosystem-based principles rather than rigid templates, offering a valuable blueprint for regional fisheries cooperation.

Managing multispecies fisheries, in this case the Gulf of Thailand, requires moving beyond single-species frameworks. The GoTFish mechanism shows that transboundary governance can succeed, offering a scalable roadmap for regional organizations to build trust, strengthen ecological resilience, and improve fisheries-dependent livelihoods.