Towards sustainable fisheries development in Southeast Asia: the twenty-year Japanese trust fund saga in SEAFDEC

Abstract

After the establishment of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) in 1967, the Government of Japan through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided funds for the operations of SEAFDEC and the Departments in accordance with the Agreement Establishing SEAFDEC until 2006. In 1998 and in addition to these funds, the Fisheries Agency of Japan started to provide SEAFDEC with the Japanese Trust Fund (JTF). The continued financial assistance from the Government of Japan through the JTF enabled SEAFDEC to pursue the implementation of its regional projects and activities in Southeast Asia.