Regional Small-Scale Fisheries Workshop in Asia

The Regional Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) Workshop in Asia: Building on a Decade of the SFF Guidelines for a Sustainable Future held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 26 to 27 March 2025, marked a significant milestone in the journey toward securing sustainable small-scale fisheries in Asia. The event commemorated the 10th anniversary of the “Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries” (SSF Guidelines), which were adopted to provide a framework for the protection and empowerment of small-scale fishers around the world. The workshop, co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), was attended by 66 participants (27 female and 39 male) from 13 countries across South and Southeast Asia. Participants included representatives from South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asian nations including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Timor Leste, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The event also participated by key partners and stakeholders from various international organizations and academic institutions, including the International Collective in Support of Fish Workers (ICSF), Regional Advisory Group (RAG), Too Big to Ignore Global Research Network (TBTI), International Indian Treaty Council New Zealand, Bay of Bengal Program-Inter-governmental Organization (BOB-IGO), Mahidol University, WorldFish, and others. The two-day workshop aimed to discuss challenges and opportunities for sustainable small-scale fisheries. The workshop resulted in the Key recommendations that emphasized policy recognition, improved data collection, gender equality, climate resilience, fair market access, and cross-sectoral collaboration to ensure long-term sustainability.

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