The Regional Workshop on

The Regional Workshop on
Enhancing Policies and Countermeasures Against IUU Fishing
in Southeast Asia

6 - 8 October 2025

Introduction

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is a major international issue affecting the sustainability of fisheries resources, both within national jurisdictions and on the high seas. This illegal practice undermines sustainable fisheries management by operating outside legal frameworks, leading to the depletion of fish stocks and hindering sustainability efforts. Southeast Asian countries face increasing pressure on their fisheries resources due to IUU fishing, often linked to insufficient management and lack of monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS). These countries must prioritize preventive measures, such as regulating fishing vessels, addressing overcapacity, and implementing effective rights-based fisheries systems. IUU fishing undermines national and regional conservation efforts, putting responsible fishers at a disadvantage and requiring urgent, transparent action

ASEAN Member State needs to strengthen their activities to combat IUU fishing. However, the problem of IUU fishing is complicated and cannot be solved by one country alone. It would require cooperation among countries to implement several measures. More importantly, strengthening the capacity of fisheries officers in AMSs who are involved in the process is necessary to ensure success in the implementation of these measures

In support of these efforts, the ASEAN-JICA Capacity Building Project on IUU Fishing Countermeasures in Southeast Asia has been implemented under the Agreement on Technical Cooperation between ASEAN and the Government of Japan (the ASEAN-JICA cooperation framework), in collaboration with SEAFDEC. This project aims to improve AMS's understanding of the practices and action necessary to deter IUU fishing and to think about the tangible countermeasures that could be adopted in their own countries, as well as to strengthen concrete countermeasures based on specific issues and concerns for eliminating IUU fishing in the AMSs through the training/capacity building workshop activities.

Therefore, the “Regional Workshop on Enhancing Policies and Countermeasures Against IUU Fishing in Southeast Asia” will be conducted. The primary aim of the workshop is to provide an update on the implementation status of the National Plans of Action to Combat IUU Fishing (NPOA-IUU) across ASEAN Member States. Additionally, the workshop seeks to improve understanding of international, regional, and national countermeasures and to address urgent concerns related to the prevention and elimination of IUU fishing in the region.