Global trade in food commodities plays an essential role in supporting livelihoods, enhancing food security, and strengthening national economies. Among these commodities, fish and fishery products are some of the most widely traded, especially for developing countries that rely heavily on this sector for employment, income, and exports. In 2022, global trade in fishery products reached 70 million tons, which accounted for 38 percent of total fisheries and aquaculture production, with an estimated value of USD 195 billion (FAO, 2024). This trend reflects the rising global demand for aquatic products and the growing complexity of international fish supply chains.

However, fisheries play a crucial role in both local and global economies, yet their sustainability is increasingly threatened by overfishing, resource depletion, and governance challenges. Among these pressures, Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing remains one of the most persistent and critical issues, undermining fisheries management, depleting fish stocks, and damaging marine ecosystems. Operating outside legal frameworks, IUU activities distort markets, disadvantage lawful fishers, and often evade detection due to limited transparency and traceability in supply chains. The problem is particularly acute in Southeast Asia, where insufficient management and weak Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) exacerbate the pressure on fishery resources. Addressing IUU fishing requires urgent and transparent action, including stricter regulation of fishing vessels, mitigation of overcapacity, and the implementation of effective rights-based management systems.

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Objectives

1. Facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and lessons learned on the implementation of MCS systems among participating countries of BOBLME II project.

2. Enhance regional collaboration in combating IUU fishing among participating countries of BOBLME II project.

Expected Outputs

1. Updated understanding of current MCS implementation and practices relevant to combating IUU fishing among participating countries of BOBLME II project.

2. Enhanced mechanisms for sharing experiences and best practices on MCS at the regional level.

3. Strengthened coordination and communication to support future collaborative actions.