Core Expert Meeting on Comparative Studies for Management of Purse Seine Fisheries in the Southeast Asian Region

Core Expert Meeting on Comparative Studies for Management of Purse Seine Fisheries in the Southeast Asian Region

Date    : 26-28 August 2014

Venue : Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I. BACKGROUND

The project entitled “Comparative Studies for Management of Purse Seine Fisheries in the Southeast Asian Region” is a new project under Japanese Trust Fund VI program started in 2003 and should be completed in 2017. Among their activities planned in 2014, is to organize a Core Expert Meeting which involve all participating SEAFDEC member countries.

The project involves compilation and comparison of annual and/or monthly CPUE where data are available for the last three decades in the region, comparison of TAC systems in the world, the genetic study of a commercially important pelagic species, and construction of management strategies for sustainable purse seine fisheries in the Southeast Asian region. Since catch-effort statistics are available in Malaysia and Thailand and CPUE is an indirect measurement of abundance of a target species in fisheries, MFRDMD will make its first attempt to examine the trend of resource level using CPUE for the last three decades. At the same time, MFRDMD will review and compare TAC systems in the world to examine which TAC system is applicable for management of small pelagic fishery in the region. Moreover, the genetic study intends to understand extend of admixture of a target species between South China Sea and Andaman Sea and/or within South China Sea for small pelagic fishery management. At the end of the project, MFRDMD will review available information including stock levels, and MFRDMD and member countries will examine management strategies for sustainable purse seine fisheries in the region.

This program corresponds to #10 of Resolution at the ASEAN-SEAFDEC conference in 2011 (Strengthen knowledge/science-based development and management of fisheries through enhancing the national capacity in the collection and sharing of fisheries data and information) and #22 of Plan of Action (Establish and strengthen regional and sub-regional coordination on fisheries management and efforts to combat IUU fishing including the development of regional/sub-regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) networks).

 II. RATIONAL OF THE MEETING

This meeting is called to compile information on landings and CPUEs for small pelagic caught by purse seine vessels in the region, so that performance and fishing capacity of purse seine vessels could be determined. Prior to the meeting, SEAFDEC/MFRDMD will prepare and introduce a standard data format that should be completed by all member countries. These data then will be processed to show the scenario of small pelagic fish in the region.

III. OBJECTIVES OF THE MEETING

The main purpose of the meeting is to share the information about landings and CPUEs of purse seine fisheries in the region, where examples for Malaysia and Thailand were developed to determine fishing capacity and TAC for small pelagic as reference. It will also finalize sampling procedures for the genetic study of selected small pelagic species.

 IV. EXPECTED OUTPUTS

Shared information about purse seine fisheries including landings and CPUEs among the participating member countries; agreed on sampling procedures for the genetic study. Participating member countries are requested to prepare a country report according to the format provided by SEAFDEC and send a copy to MFRDMD before 15 July 2014.

 V. EXPECTED OUTCOMES

i. Data / information on purse seine fisheries in Southeast Asian region ii. Possible guideline on TAC system

iii. Additional local knowledge on pelagic fisheries

 VI. DATE AND VENUE OF THE MEETING

The Core Expert Meeting on Comparative Studies for Management of Purse Seine Fisheries in the Southeast Asian Region will be organized from 26 – 28 August 2014, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

VII. PARTICIPANTS OF THE MEETING

It is envisaged that participants of the meeting will be:

i. Two representatives from each participating SEAFDEC member countries, comprising one expert on pelagic fisheries management and one officer incharge on pelagic data collection.

ii. Two representatives from SEAFDEC Secretariat and two representatives from
SEAFDEC/TD
iii. Two resource persons from Japan
iv. One representative from Sabah, Sarawak, west coast and east coast of Peninsular
Malaysia
v. Representatives from SEAFDEC/MFRDMD and vi. Observer

SECRETARIAT AND CORRESPONDENCE

All correspondence regarding the Core Expert Meeting should be addresses to:

Mr. Raja Bidin Raja Hassan 
rbidin[at]seafdec.org.my
Project Coordinator Technical Officer
Japanese Trust Fund VI Program
SEAFDEC/MFRDMD
Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
Tel: 609 – 6175940 Tel: 609 – 617-5940
Fax: 609 – 6175136 Fax: 609 – 6175136

Mr Mohammad Faisal Md Saleh
mohd_faisal[at]seafdec.org.my
Technical Officer
Japanese Trust Fund VI Program
SEAFDEC/MFRDMD SEAFDEC/MFRDMD
Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
Tel: 609 – 6175940 Tel: 609 – 617-5940
Fax: 609 – 6175136 Fax: 609 – 6175136