Regional Workshop on

Introduction

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.

One of the key strategies for addressing IUU fishing is strengthening MCS to ensure effective enforcement and sustainable fisheries management. Within this framework, the exchange of timely and accurate information is crucial, as it enhances the detection of illegal activities, supports cross-border coordination, and improves the overall efficiency of monitoring efforts. Strengthening Information Exchange on MCS helps close governance gaps, facilitates collective action, and is essential for safeguarding marine resources in the long term.

Recognizing the importance of regional collaboration, the SEAFDEC Training Department (SEAFDEC/TD) in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) implement the project “Strengthening Regional Capacity to Combat IUU Fishing and Promote Safe, Fair and Sustainable Fisheries in Southeast Asia” start 2024 to 2026, main aim to enhances national and regional responses through digital innovation, targets capacity building in MCS systems, and fosters transparency and enhances regional cooperation and networks in ASEAN Member States (AMSs).

Therefore, to enhance regional cooperation and strengthen the effectiveness of MCS in combating IUU fishing, the “Regional Workshop on Information Exchange on MCS for Combating IUU Fishing in Southeast Asia” will be organized as a part of the project. The Workshop provides a dedicated platform for sharing timely and accurate information, improving coordination among participating countries, and facilitating joint efforts to detect and deter illegal fishing activities. By fostering collaboration and building technical capacity in the region, the initiative reinforces cooperative action among AMSs and advances more effective measures against IUU fishing in the region.