Fish for the People Vol.20 No.3
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12066/7154
2024-03-29T14:49:43ZListing of commercially exploited aquatic species in the CITES Appendices: FAO and SEAFDEC perspectives
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12066/7179
Listing of commercially exploited aquatic species in the CITES Appendices: FAO and SEAFDEC perspectives
Wanchana, Worawit; Tongdee, Nualanong; Kaewnuratchadasorn, Pattaratjit
Aquatic species have been exploited worldwide to support food security and income generation either for commercial or subsistent purposes making a large number of species becoming fully exploited or overexploited, while some are threatened with the risk of being endangered. Several conservation and management measures have been developed either within the exclusive economic zones of coastal States or on the high seas by the respective regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) to ensure that the species targeted for fishing activities could be utilized in a sustainable manner. In addition to the efforts to ensure sustainable harvest of the species, it is also envisaged that trading, especially international trade, of the species also contributes to more exploitation of the resources posing risk to their survival. Thus, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was established as an international agreement between governments with the aim to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species. The text of the Convention was agreed upon at a meeting of representatives of 80 countries in March 1973, and in July 1975 the CITES entered into force.
This article portrays the roles of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in assessing proposals for listing of commercially-exploited aquatic species in the CITES Appendices from a scientific perspective and in accordance with CITES biological listing criteria, and those of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) in providing fora for countries in Southeast Asia to share information, build up relevant technical capacity, and develop common/coordinated positions in response to the proposals.
2023-02-01T00:00:00ZFish for the People Vol.20 No.3
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12066/7178
Fish for the People Vol.20 No.3
Aquatic species are exploited for food security and livelihood but some of them could be fully exploited or overexploited if not properly managed. The ASEAN Member States (AMSs), i.e. Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam, are among the top producers of fish and fishery products that are supplied to the international markets including the United States, Europe, China, Japan, and others. One of the global initiatives to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species is the establishment of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1975 as an international agreement between governments. During the past decade, several commercially-exploited aquatic species (CEAS) had been proposed and listed in the Appendices of CITES. However, the proposals for inclusion of species into the CITES Appendices have to be considered and decided by votes by the CITES Parties. Therefore, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is actively assessing the proposals for listing CEAS in the CITES Appendices from a scientific perspective and in accordance with CITES biological listing criteria; while the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) is providing fora for the Member Countries to share information, build up relevant technical capacity, and develop common/coordinated positions in response to the proposals.
In the region, there are several CEAS that are subject to CITES as well as other conservation and management measures, such as sharks and rays, seahorses, anguillid eels, among others. This issue of “Fish for the People” features the international concern relevant to CEAS, including the roles of FAO and SEAFDEC in gathering data and information to obtain a better knowledge of the status and trends of some of these species, and ensuring conservation and management for sustainable utilization. However, there is also a need to recognize that the Southeast Asian region fisheries are characterized by a large number of small-scale fishers using multigear and harvesting multispecies of aquatic organisms.
Sharks and rays are commercially important species in the region but they are not targeted for most fisheries and are usually bycatch. However, this resource could result in overexploitation if fishing activities are not properly managed. The activities were led by SEAFDEC Marine Fishery Resources Development and Management Department (MFRDMD) to obtain sufficient information including the collection of data on landings, trade, and nursery grounds; identification of species through DNA analysis; development of human resources; raising public awareness; among others. Such information is also necessary to support the development of non-detrimental findings (NDFs) that are crucial for the countries to export the species listed in CITES Appendix II. In commitment to the International Plan of Action for Conservation and Management of Sharks (IPOA-Sharks), several Southeast Asian countries have adopted their respective NPOA-Sharks that outline the measures to ensure that the species are properly managed toward sustainable utilization.
The United States is the topmost country in the world importing aquatic products, and marine mammals are among the species groups under their concern. In order to protect marine mammals, the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) was decreed which prohibits importations of commercial fish or fishery products from commercial fishing operations resulting in incidental killing or serious injury (bycatch) of marine mammals. Considering that the implementation of MMPA could impact the region’s fisheries sector, SEAFDEC in 2021 started providing a forum for the AMSs to discuss the major issues and challenges in complying with the MMPA.
For tropical anguillid eels, the species are catadromous making them vulnerable to fishing activities, especially considering the high price and market demand. Several AMSs developed their respective national fishery management programs and regulations to carry out effective management practices for the sustainable use and conservation of tropical anguillid eel resources. The Inland Fishery Resources Development and Management Department (IFRDMD) of SEAFDEC supported the AMSs by conducting activities on data collection, biodiversity monitoring, stock enhancement, and involvement of stakeholders. Furthermore, the SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department also conducted a study of the performance and feed utilization of high-value eel species in cage conditions, the results of which are relevant information to the aquaculture development of tropical anguillid eels.
2023-02-01T00:00:00ZComplying with the import provisions of the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA): Issues and challenges of the ASEAN Member States
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12066/7177
Complying with the import provisions of the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA): Issues and challenges of the ASEAN Member States
Kaewnuratchadasorn, Pattaratjit
In 2017, the United States government through its National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries announced the final rule to implement the import provisions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) which prohibits importations of commercial fish or fish products from commercial fishing operations resulting in incidental killing or serious injury (bycatch) of marine mammals. MMPA established the conditions that the nations exporting fish and fish products to the United States must demonstrate they have a regulatory program for reducing marine mammal incidental mortality and serious injury that is comparable in effectiveness to United States standards. As of 21 October 2022, NOAA Fisheries announced the Modification of Deadlines Under the Fish and Fish Product Import Provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and issued the final rule to revise the regulations implementing the import provisions of the MMPA. The final rule was extended for one year, with the exemption period ending on 31 December 2023.
Regarding the Import Provisions Rule of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) which will enter into force in 2024, the United States requires the exporting countries to meet the new requirement including banning the seafood products that incidentally capture any marine mammal. However, this regulation could adversely affect the countries trading with the United States, especially Southeast Asian countries. The fisheries of Southeast Asia play important role in contributing to the protein food supply of the world and generating revenue for the national economy. Many ASEAN Member States (AMSs), i.e. Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam, are among the highest producers of fish and fishery products that are supplied to the world market including the United States, Europe, China, Japan, and others. As exporting countries, the AMSs made a tremendous effort in improving their legal frameworks and implementing necessary actions to comply with international trade measures such as the MMPA and EC Regulation 1005/2008 in order to access international markets. Therefore, SEAFDEC extended support to the AMSs by providing a regional platform to update the status of the MMPA and exchange information on major issues and challenges to comply with the MMPA.
2023-02-01T00:00:00ZPromoting tropical eel culture in the Philippines: Comparative performance of Anguilla bicolor pacifica and A. marmorata in captivity
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12066/7176
Promoting tropical eel culture in the Philippines: Comparative performance of Anguilla bicolor pacifica and A. marmorata in captivity
Aya, Frolan A.
Eel aquaculture is an important activity in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Philippines, and Viet Nam. With the decline in the wild fishery stock of cold-water eel species (European eel Anguilla anguilla, Japanese eel A. japonica, and American eel A. rostrata (Tatsukawa, 2003; Gómez-Limia et al., 2022), there has been an increasing interest in the culture of tropical eel species as an export commodity. In the Philippines, species of anguillid eels cultured are mainly the Pacific shortfin eel A. bicolor pacifica and the giant mottled eel A. marmorata. Anguilla bicolor pacifica is now being considered as an alternative to A. japonica (Muthmainnah et al., 2016), being the most preferred eel species for consumption in East Asian countries. However, A. marmorata, which comprised the bulk of the wild glass eel catch in the Cagayan River, Philippines, has rarely been cultured as an export commodity. Comparison of performance and feed utilization may provide relevant information on the culture requirements of these two eel species under cage conditions.
2023-02-01T00:00:00Z