Esteeming the Importance of Comprehensive Data for Sustainable Eel Fisheries in Southeast Asia

Abstract

In recent years, the value of tropical eels has significantly increased due to the decline of temperate eels. As a result, there has been a dramatic rise in the capture of glass eels and the juvenile stage of eels in tropical areas. Six of the 10 ASEAN Member States (AMSs), namely: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam are range States for tropical anguillid eels. The respective AMSs developed their respective national fishery management programs and agreed to collaborate with the vision of developing effective management practices for sustainable use and conservation of tropical anguillid eel resources in the region (Muthmainnah et al., 2023). The conservation and management of tropical eel resources have become crucial in the Southeast Asian region to ensure their sustainability. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a policy that balances the utilization and preservation of these resources.

Acknowledging the limited knowledge about tropical eel species, SEAFDEC/IFRDMD implemented the project “Sustainable Utilization of Anguillid Eels in the Southeast Asia Region” from 2020 to 2024 supported by the Japan Trust Fund VI Phase 2. The Project is relevant to the Resolution and Plan of Action on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security for the ASEAN Region Towards 2030 (RES&POA-2030), specifically POA no. 5 Strengthen the collection of data and information, where relevant, on species under international concern, e.g. sharks and rays, sea turtles, catadromous eels, aquatic mammals, etc., and harmonize/standardize data collection methods among countries in the region. The two main activities of the Project include 1) standardizing the data collection in the region and 2) mapping the genetic population structure of tropical eels in Southeast Asia based on mtDNA approach. This article summarizes the key achievements of the Project from the several activities conducted by IFRDMD including eel catch and effort data, hydroacoustic surveys, genetic studies, and gender integration in eel fisheries.