SEAFDEC Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
The Policy and Program Coordinator of SEAFDEC Secretariat, Dr. Worawit Wanchana as well as former Chief of SEAFDEC Marine Fishery Resources Development and Management Department and former Regional Vice Chair IUCN Shark Specialist Group for Southeast Asia Region, Dr. Ahmad bin Ali, participated in a virtual workshop organized by the German Environment Ministry and Germany Agency for Nature Conservation under the project “Improving Synergies Between Regional Fisheries Bodies (RFBs) and CITES Authorities for the Management and Conservation of Marine Elasmobranch” on 13 July 2022. The Workshop was intended to develop approaches to improve the collaboration between CITES and regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), address specific management measures, and identify opportunities for greater cooperation between fisheries and species protection organizations. The attendees of the Workshop include representatives from the international agencies related to natural resources conservation and management and regional fisheries bodies. During the Workshop, Dr. Ahmad was a panelist in Panel 2 which focused on the cooperation between CITES and RFMOs on non-CITES listed species to prevent the decline of their stock to the level that would include them in CITES listing. Moreover, Dr. Worawit was one of the panelists in Panel 3 which discussed the cooperation between the CITES and RFMOs on common objectives for CITES-listed species.
This event was part of a series of three online workshops on the sustainability of sharks and rays in fisheries and trade. The first workshop in December 2021 presented the status of shark species and threats and the strengths and weaknesses of the current relationship between fisheries and conservation management. The third workshop in late 2022 will move towards identifying and investigating opportunities for implementation of joint solutions and inform the planning of the high-level event in 2023.
