The Meeting on the Preparation of the 2026–2027 Work Plan for the Implementation of the Sustainable Management of the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME II) Project was organized by SEAFDEC in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries on 12 May 2026 at the Department of Fisheries, Thailand. The meeting gathered 34 participants (16 females and 18 males) from DOF Thailand, IUCN and SEAFDEC to discuss the Year 3 work plan under the BOBLME II Project. The meeting was chaired by Ms. Wantana Jenkijkosol, Expert in Fishing Gears from the Marine Fisheries Research and Development Division and Thailand’s Project Steering Committee Member for the BOBLME II Project. The objectives of the meeting were to report the progress of the BOBLME II Project from January 2025 to June 2026, discuss and finalize the 2026–2027 work plan (July 2026–June 2027), review key challenges and priority activities, and strengthen coordination among DOF...

The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), under the BOBLME II Project, supported nine representatives (7 females and 2 males) to participate in the “Seas of Change: Shared Insights for Supporting Small-Scale Fisheries in the Gulf of Thailand and Bay of Bengal” meeting, convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 26 April 2026 in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand. This was followed by their participation in the 5th World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress (5WSSFC), held from 27 April to 1 May 2026 at the same venue. The Congress was co-hosted by TBTI Global in collaboration with its global network of hubs and partner organizations. The delegation was led by Ms. Panitnard Weerawat, Head of the Research and Development Division of SEAFDEC/Training Department (TD) and included SEAFDEC/TD staff and representatives from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The “Seas of Change” meeting brought together practitioners from the BOBLME...

The GoTFish Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) supported six representatives (five females and one male) from participating countries to attend the FAO informal meeting, “Seas of Change: Shared Insights for supporting Small-Scale Fisheries in the Gulf of Thailand and Bay of Bengal,” on 26 April 2026, as well as TBTI’s “5th World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress (5WSSFC)”, 27 April–1 May 2026. Both events were held at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Hua Hin, Thailand. The “Seas of Change” meeting brought together representatives from the GoTFish and BOBLME-II projects, including fisheries government officials engaged in implementation, to exchange practical experiences and share knowledge that can inspire and inform national-level actions, particularly in support of small-scale fisheries. Through project briefings, facilitated discussion, and interactive group work, participants identified transferable lessons and practical next steps related to transboundary shared stock governance, the ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM), and strategies to combat illegal, unreported and...

On 12 March 2026, at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) Secretariat, Mr. Adirake Markphol from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) met with representatives from SEAFDEC/TD, led by Mr. Isara Chanrachakig and Ms. Suwanee Sayan from the Project Planning and Management Division, to discuss the implementation of the BOBLME II Project and strengthen alignment between the components implemented by SEAFDEC and IUCN. A total of three (3) participants (1 female and 2 males) attended the discussion. Under the BOBLME II Project, five (5) components are implemented by the executing agencies. SEAFDEC is responsible for Components 1, 3, and 5, which focus on promoting the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) and reducing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, improving port management and the marking of fishing gear, as well as supporting project monitoring and coordination. Meanwhile, IUCN is responsible for Components 2, 4, and 5, which...

Event Overview On March 12, 2026, the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) hosted the "National Meeting for Verifying the Results of the Pilot Testing of Fishing Gear Marking" at Maejo University's Lamae Campus in Chumphon Province, Thailand. This event was made possible through support from the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) and represented a collaborative effort between SEAFDEC’s Training Department (SEAFDEC/TD) and the Department of Fisheries (DOF) Thailand. Bringing Research to the Real World The primary goal of the meeting was to validate the outcomes of pilot tests conducted in Chumphon Province from mid-January to late February 2026. SEAFDEC Secretary-General Sampan Panjarat emphasized in her opening remarks that the initiative aims to move beyond theoretical discussions by evaluating how different marking systems function under real marine conditions. Pilot Phase and Materials Tested During the pilot phase, technical teams focused on assessing three specific marking materials: • Bird rings • Plastic tags • Metal tags The Four Pillars of...