Kick-off Meeting for Project on Combatting Marine Debris from Fisheries organized

SEAFDEC organized the regional kick-off meeting for the project “Regional Collaborative Research and Capacity Building for Monitoring and Reduction of Marine Debris from Fisheries in Southeast Asia.” Representatives from the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Member Countries, namely: Cambodia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam; a representative from the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) Management Team, as well as officials and staff from the SEAFDEC Secretariat, TD, MFRDMD, and IFRDMD participated in the Meeting held virtually on 10 September 2024.

The Project, which is implemented by SEAFDEC from 2024 to 2026 with support from the JAIF, seeks to address the growing issue of marine debris, particularly from abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), and build regional capacity for sustainable solutions. The Meeting discussed the details of the activities of the Project which were aligned with four priority areas of the ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris including Policy Support and Planning; Research, Innovation, and Capacity Building; Public Awareness, Education, and Outreach; and Private Sector Engagement. Moreover, the indicative workplan and working mechanisms were also deliberated during the Meeting.