Two delegates from SEAFDEC, Ms. Sampan Panjarat (Secretary-General of the Training Department) and Mr. Kongpathai Saraphaivanich (Training and Research Supporting Division Head) participated in the High-Level Policy Guidance Workshop on Artificial Intelligence in Fisheries: Strengthening MCS, Traceability & Governance Readiness in the Bay of Bengal Region from 28 to 29 May 2026, followed immediately by the XIV Governing Council Meeting (GCM-XIV) of the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) on 30 May 2026 in Mumbai, India. Both events were organized by BOBP-IGO.
The High-Level AI Workshop was convened under BOBLME-II project. Across the two-day technical workshop, international experts, technology providers, and national delegates explored operational AI tools built to perform under real artisanal fishing conditions. During the workshop, Ms. Sampan Panjarat delivered a presentation titled “What a Regional Technical Organization Can Do: Cooperation, Capacity Building, Traceability and MCS Tools in Southeast Asian Fisheries.” She highlighted SEAFDEC’s technical milestones in establishing interoperable data frameworks, standardizing vessel records, and building multi-agency operational networks across Southeast Asia, offering valuable peer-learning insights for the Bay of Bengal region. Following the general workshop, the delegation participated in the BOBLME Project Partners Meet. This regional roundtable brought together key representatives from FAO, BOBP-IGO, IUCN, SEAFDEC, and UNODC to coordinate a Large Marine Ecosystem (LME)-wide MCS operational backbone. Crucially, the partners deliberated on establishing a structured dialogue to systematically delink maritime fisheries crime from routine small-scale fishing activities.
Following the workshop, regular Governing Council Members convened alongside observers to review the compiled outputs. The Governing Council officially adopted the Workshop Outcome Statement and endorsed a phased “pilot-and-learn” pathway for the 2026–27 work programme, which focuses on testing deployable AI tools across selected ports before broader rollouts. Council members noted that while AI offers powerful methods to minimize transaction costs, it must serve as an enabling layer that respects domestic legal frameworks, data sovereignty, and human judgment. Moreover, the Council approved BOBP-IGO’s role as the regional hub for coordinating AI-enabled fisheries governance within the BOBLME-II project framework.
This successful convergence of SEAFDEC, BOBP-IGO, and global technical partners underscores a strengthening partnership between Southeast Asia and South Asia. By consolidating scientific tools and coordinating enforcement protocols, both organizations continue to build meaningful public goods for sustainable ocean governance across adjacent large marine ecosystems.
