SEAFDEC Secretariat and FAO co-organized the 2nd Training Workshop on Stock Assessment in Support the Implementation of the International Commitments for Sustainable Use of Fisheries Resources in Southeast Asia from 29 August to 6 September 2022 onsite at SEAFDEC/Training Department in Samut Prakan, Thailand and online. The trainers were the experts on fish stock assessment from the FAO as well as universities in USA and Mexico. The training course gathered fishery biologists who are responsible for the national stock assessment program in marine fisheries resources of the SEAFDEC Member Countries (i.e. Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam); officers from the SEAFDEC Secretariat, stock assessment experts from SEAFDEC Training Department and Marine Fishery Resources Development and Management Department.
The training course focused on stock assessment and analysis of the respective countries’ data using various models such as length-based stock production ratio (LBSPR), surplus production model, yield per recruit, productivity susceptibility analysis, data processing and verification, and relationship between catch and CPUE, and others. During the training, the participants learned how to interpret the results of the assessment and developed science-based management advice for management plans towards sustainable utilization of fisheries resources.
The training was a directive from the SEAFDEC Council to enhance the capacity of the SEAFDEC Member Countries to determine the reference points of the stock status for proper fisheries management plan for sustainable utilization of fishery resources along with the project “Assistance for Capacity Development in the Region to Address International Fisheries-related Issues” funded by the government of Japan through the Japanese Trust Fund.