Ms. Malinee Smithrithee, the Secretary-General and Chief of Training Department through SEAFDEC staff welcomed Acting for Director General and delegates from the Department of Fisheries, Thailand in Sriracha Fishing Port, Chonburi Province, Thailand to observe demonstration at sea of M.V. Plalung on 22 December 2021. The operation of trawl net, gill net, and collapsible crab trap were demonstrated including using technology of hydraulic and fishing equipment for reducing manpower during fishing operation. The promotions and demonstrations of M.V. Plalung for fishermen in Thailand will be conducted in the next year plan. 

M.V. Plalung is wood vessel, 29.98 GT, 18.32 meters of length, 4.40 meters of breadth, and 1.71 meters of depth. M.V. Plalung is improved as prototype of trawler to support training and research activities by SEAFDEC/TD along the coastal area of Thailand. Regarding work in fishing convention (C188), M.V. Plalung improved on livelihood, hygienics of crew and installed safety equipment at sea during on board. Moreover, new technology on optimizing energy which support low impact to environment and fuel efficiency, instruments to reduce manpower of fishing operation including technology of fish handling and preservation quality of fish on board are also installed to M.V. Plalung.

The SEAFDEC Training Department (SEAFDEC/TD) in cooperation with the Fisheries Administration (FiA) of Cambodia organized “The 1^st Meeting Workshops for the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) in the Pilot site of Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia” on 30 November 2021 via online platform. The workshop aims to define and scope the Fisheries Management Unit (FMU), the list of the problems and key stakeholders including the needed information to serve for the ecosystem approach to fisheries management implementation plan in Boeung Tonle Chhmar, Tonle Sap Lake of Cambodia. There were 24 participants (12 officers, 3 fishers, 6 SEAFDEC/TD, 3 FAO/EU experts, and UNESCO) attended in this Workshop. The results and recommends from Workshop will use for fisheries management plan in this pilot site.

The SEAFDEC Training Department (SEAFDEC/TD) in collaboration with Krabi Provincial Fisheries, Department of Fisheries Thailand, organized “The Workshop on Developing Fisheries Management Plan for Eight Districts in Krabi Province” from 14 to 16 December 2021, at Krabi Province, Thailand. There were 72 participants (29 females and 43 males) who are representatives from Krabi fisheries provincial office, eight fisheries district office, head of fisher groups, and resource persons attended in the said Workshop. The methodology of Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) was used which came up on fisheries management plan for Krabi Province.  

The SEAFDEC Training Department (SEAFDEC/TD) organized the “Online Regional Training Course on Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) for Aquaculture” from 30 November to 3 December 2021 via online platform. The Training main aim to enhance the capacity of human resources on the utilization of GIS and RS in the region. There were 37 participants (18 females and 19 males) who are junior fisheries officers or researchers from ASEAN Member States (AMSs) and have the basic knowledge of and/or working on GIS and RS in fisheries and environment. In the end, the participants understood on the utilization of GIS and RS for Aquaculture through strengthened network of FGIS and RS researchers in the region.

Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) is utilized as tools for many aspects in fisheries and environmental sciences which can help the fisheries development and management. GIS is commonly used for visual display, quantification, and analyses of spatial data. Ecological data, including fisheries data, generally contain a spatial component and are well suited for analysis through GIS. Moreover, RS is the process of detecting and monitoring the physical characteristics of an area by measuring its reflected and emitted radiation at a distance. RS could therefore be used to classify objects on earth, including those on the surface as well as in the atmosphere and oceans, based on propagated signals.