SEAFDEC participates in ASEAN fisheries-related virtual meetings

The representatives from SEAFDEC participated in a series of ASEAN meetings related to fisheries, namely: 13^th ASEAN Shrimp Alliance (13^th ASA), 15^th Meeting of ASEAN Fisheries Consultative Forum (15^th AFCF), and 31^st Meeting of ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Fisheries (31^st ASWGFi), which were convened virtually on 24, 25, and 26–27 July 2023, respectively, hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR.

During the 15^th AFCF, the progress of the initiatives and activities of SEAFDEC in 2022–2023 under the AFCF priority areas, namely: securing sustainable small-scale fisheries, resource rehabilitation and enhancements, impacts of climate change on fisheries, combating IUU fishing, and traceability of fisheries and aquaculture products, were reported. Moreover, SEAFDEC also informed the AFCF of the new projects that would commence in 2023 focusing on combatting IUU fishing,  small-scale fisheries, and impacts of climate change.

Subsequently, at the 31^st ASWGFi, several dialog partners of ASEAN including SEAFDEC were invited to attend the Open Session to present their respective cooperation activities with ASEAN. Under the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Strategic Partnership (ASSP) framework, SEAFDEC reported the key results of the 25^th Meeting of the Fisheries Consultative Group of the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Strategic Partnership (25FCG/ASSP) which was convened on 8–9 December 2022 in Iloilo City, Philippines. The 31^st ASWGFi also approved the ongoing projects implemented by SEAFDEC in 2022–2023 and the new projects for 2023 as well as one pipeline project. Specifically on the pipeline project “Implementing and Assessment of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action for the Management of Fishing Capacity,” Malaysia indicated its willingness to be the project lead country once the funding is secured from the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund. The 31^st ASWGFi also endorsed the key findings of the 2021 baseline information for monitoring and evaluation of the Resolution and Plan of Action on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security for the ASEAN Region Towards 2030 (RES&POA-2030) for further submission to the Senior Officials Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (SOM-AMAF) in 2023.