Small-scale Fisheries in Southeast Asia: A Regional Digest

Abstract

This publication “Small-scale Fisheries of Southeast Asia: A Regional Digest” highlights the key achievements and lessons learned as well as provides strategic outlook and actions to be undertaken toward sustainable development of small-scale fisheries in the region under the framework of the Resolution and Plan of Action on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security for the ASEAN Region Towards 2030 as well as the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines).

In the Southeast Asian region, most fishers engage in small-scale fishing operations in the pre-harvest, harvest, or post-harvest areas that are fundamental to the social and cultural structures of the fishing community. Such operations in “multiuse, multiuser” coastal and inland resources compete with other sectors leading to habitat degradation and resource depletion. SEAFDEC, therefore, had developed and promoted several policy recommendations, guidelines, programs/projects to make sure that such diverse activities are sustainable. This includes the regionalization of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries that took into consideration the specific regional concerns of Southeast Asian fisheries and came up with a series of Regional Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries in Southeast Asia.