Offshore Fisheries Resources Exploration in Southeast Asia
(Year : 2004-2019)
1 Brief Project Description
Currently, attempts of countries in the Southeast Asia have initiated to expand their fishing activities in the offshore areas in their respective EEZ where fisheries resources are still under-utilized as for the alternative fisheries resources. Over the years, SEAFDEC/TD has also initiated and provided technical supports to the Member Countries on the exploration of fishery resources in their EEZ through various programs of activities. During the past few years, TD organized a number of technical meetings, workshops and trainings related to fisheries resource exploration. The outputs from such activities could be referred to as references to facilitate development of the offshore fishery resources in the EEZ of the Member Countries.
Main activities under this project include training activities and technical supports from TD on offshore fisheries resources exploration in EEZ of the Member Countries through human resources capacity building programs including sea trial, and cruise survey of the Member Countries using M.V. SEAFDEC 2 and other research vessels. The project will also facilitate collaboration research survey in the area where fisheries resources, especially tuna resources such as yellowfin and skipjack, has being shared among the countries in Southeast Asia.
2 Background and Justification
Over the past few years, a number of countries in the region have increased their interest to promote the exploration of offshore fisheries resources to reduce the pressure of over-exploited fisheries resources in near shore areas in their EEZ, at the same time to find alternative source of fisheries resources. This is in line with the Resolution and Plan of Action on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security for the ASEAN Regional Towards 2020, as mentioned in the Plan of Action # 18 “Investigate the potential of under-utilized fisheries resources and promote their exploitation in a precautionary manner based upon analysis of the best available scientific information”. In this connection, this project will provide technical support to the Member Countries in exploring the under-utilized fisheries resources including offshore areas in their respective EEZ waters.
In this connection, SEAFDEC in close collaboration with the Member Countries has supported exploration of fishery/living resources in the EEZ of the countries in SEA. The overall aims of this project are to encourage Member Countries to collect the information on the offshore fishery resources in terms of research and training facilities using M..V. SEAFDEC 2, and to build human resources capacity for offshore fishery resources exploration. Concerning on the issues on delay of data analysis on tuna research work as well as the preparation on development of the Project concern on fish handing at sea, SEAFDEC proposes to extend the project period to year 2019.
3 Project Overall Objectives, Outcomes, Outputs, Indicators and Activities
3.1 Objectives, Outcome and Output of the Project
Objectives 1
Organization of the Regional Offshore Fisheries Research Resource Exploration.Outcomes 1
Set of data on the fisheries research resource for capture fisheries promotion or fisheries resource management.Outputs 1
1.1) A set of scientific data for policy consideration on management and sustainable utilization of oceanic tuna in Sulu and Sulawesi Seas1.2) Sets of SOPs for assessing the status of tuna resources in region or Subregional Waters in Southeast Asia
1.3) Summary Report on the Technical Meeting on the Plan for the Survey Cruise of M.V. SEAFDEC 2 on Small Pelagic Fishery Resources Assessment in Viet Nam Marine Waters and Tentative Cruise Order of M..V. SEAFDEC 2 survey around Waters in Southeast Asia.
Activities 1
Activity 1: Technical meetings on the results of the tuna fisheries resources survey in Sulu and Sulawesi Seas Progress of the tuna research work, direction and solution of the difficulties on data analysis to support the tuna research in SSSs as well as the future activities will also be discussed at the meeting.Activity 2: Regional (or Sub-regional) consultation to establish research survey for offshore fisheries resources in Southeast Asia Waters by utilization of M.V. SEAFDEC 2
Activity 3: Supporting technical staff(s) of SEAFDEC/TD participate the cruise survey and participate to the technical meetings of sub-regional study/research on offshore fisheries resources survey..
Objectives 2
Developing for Improving Fish Handling at SeaOutcomes 2
Utilization of fisheries resources through improvement of post-harvest fish handling at sea onboard fishing vesselsOutputs 2
Report of the regional training course on post-harvestActivities 2
Organize the regional training course on improvement of post-harvest fish handling at sea
Objectives 3
Strengthening quality research survey on offshore fisheries resources, and promote value addition to marine fisheries products in Southeast AsianOutcomes 3
Efficiency of research survey on offshore fisheries resources and appropriate improvement of post-harvest fish handlingOutputs 3
Sampling gear used for fisheries resources survey and/or Promote the materials of the improve Fisheries Research Resource Exploration and package(s) of technical handbooks and training reports on improvement of post-harvest fish handlingActivities 3
Modification of the offshore sampling gears and technical project publications3.2 Overall Scope/Description of Project