There are over a million small fishing boats operating in the Southeast Asian region. Such big number could easily pose high risks in fishing operations. Although some fishers and crew could be very skillful as accomplished sailors, and possessing great amount of knowledge on weather and sea conditions, accidents involving fishing boats still continue to happen. This is coupled with natural disasters that occurred unexpectedly due to the effects of climate change and global warming.

          1. To awareness human capacity building for safety at sea in the region

          2. To promote safety at sea for small fishing boats to reduce accidents from fishing operation
          

In the year 2010, the Second Regional Technical Workshop on Safety at Sea for Small Fishing Boats was held at the Training Department (TD) from 20 to 23 April 2010.  The Second Technical Workshop aimed to establish a collaborative mechanism among relevant agencies, organizations and authorities for the improvement of safety at sea for small fishing boats and the living conditions of fishers on fishing boats as well as to initiate the preparation of regional guidelines for safety at sea of small fishing boats for Southeast Asia.

This Regional Technical Workshop was attended by representatives from the SEAFDEC Member Countries, namely: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam as well as from Timor-Leste. The Workshop was also attended by representatives from the Bay of Bengal Program-Intergovernmental Organization (BOBP-IGO), Fisheries Research Agency (FRA) of Japan, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Kasetsart University (KU) of Thailand, Marine Department of Thailand, National Disaster Warning Center of Thailand, National Fisheries University (NFU) of Japan, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordination Center (Thai-MECC or SORNCHON), and from the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT) of Japan. The SEAFDEC Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General and senior officials from the SEAFDEC Secretariat, Marine Fishery Resources Development and Management Department (MFRDMD), and TD also attended the Workshop. 

The Workshop was also envisaged to establish a network for the exchange and sharing of information on the improvement of the conditions of fishing boats and lives of fishers at sea in the Southeast Asian region. The Workshop reviewed and enhanced the recommendations from the December 2003 Workshop, and came up with the over-all recommendations on Safety at Sea for Small Fishing Boats in the Southeast Asian Region. Considering the recommendations as over-all framework, the Workshop also suggested that appropriate regional programs on Safety at Sea could be developed by the respective Southeast Asian countries. In this connection, the Workshop also suggested that issues and concerns on Safety at Sea raised during the Workshop could be included as inputs for discussion during the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Conference on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security Towards 2020: “Fish for the People 2020” scheduled in June 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The recommendations on safety at sea for small fishing boats in Southeast Asia was adopted During the Second Regional Technical Workshop on Safety at Sea for Small Fishing Boats the Second RTC on Safety at Sea for Small Fishing Boats  

1. Development the appropriate incident reporting and investigation systems for the purpose of improving safety at sea, taking into account the following considerations:
   - The guidelines on accident reporting and analysis currently being developed by FAO;
   - The possible establishing of incentives for fishermen, indemnity programs, registration systems for fishing vessels, MCS systems and subsidies to the fishing industry; and
   - The objective of the systems should be appropriate for the size of vessels and types of fishing operations or facilities onboard.
   
   
2. Promote the registration of small fishing boats.
3. Promote and ensure that  safety aspects, including considerations on working conditions and socio-economic development , are incorporated and addressed by concerned authorities while improving the monitoring and control of the status and use of small scale fishing vessels
4. Strengthen local authorities and local organizations and promote application of safety at sea standards among the coastal communities.
5. Promote technical and financial support from authorities, including subsidies, at all levels for issues of safety at sea, including considerations on working conditions and socio-economic development.
   
   
6. Identify and promote the basic requirements for safety at sea in the following areas:
   - research on the design and construction of small fishing  boats including the modification of traditional type boats;
   - safety equipment including  fire fighting and life-saving appliances;
   - regular maintenance and repair of boats, gear and equipment; and
   - development of regular boat inspection systems.
   
   
7. Implement training and education programs for all stakeholders including the fishers , family members, boat builders and others, for basic requirements of:
   - boat design and construction;
   - equipment and its correct use (including avoidance of dangerous  fishing practices);
   - search & rescue operations;
   - occupational health, working conditions and safety awareness; and   
   - awareness of environmental factors.
   
   
8. Promote awareness among policy makers, central authorities and broader public on the safety hazards facing people involved in fisheries in order to:
   - Attract more attention and resources to be allocated to safety at sea aspects;
   - Provide knowledge on the working conditions and hardship facing by fishers (which are increasing following the impact of climate change); and
   - Raise political will to address safety at sea and in strengthening the local organizations.
   
   
9. Develop and promote the use of appropriate communication systems for:
   - weather forecasting information; and
   - search & rescue systems
   .
10. For definition of ‘small fishing boats’ and ‘operational range’, reference should be made on the respective rules and laws of individual countries

No	Title	Year	Download
1	The recommendations on safety at sea for small fishing boats in Southeast Asia was adopted During the Second Regional Technical Workshop on Safety at Sea for Small Fishing Boats the Second RTC on Safety at Sea for Small Fishing Boats	2010	102 KB.
2	Report of the Second Regional Technical Workshop on Safety at Sea for Small Fishing Boats	2010	67 KB.
3	Poster of safety and sea for small fishing boats (Thai version)	2010	3.70 MB.