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 unregulated (IUU) fishing. The meeting also provided an opportunity to explore initiatives, including ecological corridors and the blue economy approaches.
Through its commitment to strengthening regional cooperation and capacity development, the GoTFish Project supported representatives from participating countries to attend the 5WSSFC. This support enabled active participation in plenary and technical sessions, addressing key issues such as governance, sustainability, equity, and food security, while ensuring that regional perspectives—particularly from the Gulf of Thailand and Bay of Bengal—were effectively reflected in global dialogues and partnerships.
On 28 April 2026, FAO/RAP, in collaboration with the GoTFish and BOBLME-II projects, convened a special panel session at the 5WSSFC entitled “Advancing Small-Scale Fisheries Sustainability through Ecosystem Approach and Other Governance Measures: Lessons from the Gulf of Thailand and Bay of Bengal.” The session brought together policy-makers, technical experts, and practitioners to explore how sub-regional cooperation, ecosystem approaches to fisheries (EAF), and market and value-chain incentives can be strategically aligned. Supported by coherent and enabling governance frameworks, the discussions emphasized actionable pathways to advance more sustainable and resilient small-scale fisheries in the Gulf of Thailand and the Bay of Bengal.
In addition, the GoTFish Project Steering Committee (PSC) Member for Thailand, Dr. Pavarot Noranarttragoon, and the GoTFish Chief Technical Advisor of the RCU, Dr. Worawit Wanchana, delivered oral presentations highlighting key regional issues and collaborative solutions advanced under the project. Their contributions addressed critical challenges in the Gulf of Thailand, including shared-stock governance, ecosystem-based fisheries management, and the application of multispecies stock assessment frameworks to support cooperative, science-based and evidence-informed fisheries management.
