The SEAFDEC representative, Mr. Weerasak Yingyuad, Senior Project Planning and Management Officer, together with Dr. Worawit Wanchana, Chief Technical Adviser of the GoTFish Project, participated in the Bangkok Climate Security Dialogue organized by adelphi global with the support of the European Union from 10 to 11 September 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The two-day Dialogue brought together representatives from the European Union, national governments, regional organizations, civil society, and academia to explore the interconnected challenges of climate, peace and security in South-East Asia, with a particular focus on cross-border cooperation and integrated responses.
Representing the fisheries sector, Mr. Weerasak Yingyuad served as a panelist in the session on “Cross-border cooperation in South-East Asia,” where he shared the fisheries perspective on how climate and environmental changes are affecting shared fisheries resources and coastal communities. He highlighted that fish stocks, marine ecosystems, and environmental risks do not respect national borders. Changes in sea temperature, ocean conditions, rainfall patterns, and coastal habitats can affect fish distribution, migration, spawning areas, and fishing seasons, with implications for fisheries, food security, and the livelihoods of coastal communities.
Mr. Weerasak emphasized that regional cooperation, information and data sharing, joint assessment, coordinated planning, and adaptive management are increasingly important for addressing these interconnected challenges. He highlighted SEAFDEC’s experience in facilitating cooperation on transboundary fisheries resources management, including the Indo-Pacific mackerel in the Gulf of Thailand under SEAFDEC-SWEDEN project. He and Dr. Warawit shared the information of the GoTFish Project as a current example of strengthening transboundary fisheries governance through the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management, while recognizing climate resilience, socioeconomic conditions, gender, and livelihoods.
The participation of SEAFDEC in the Dialogue underscores the importance of bringing the fisheries perspective into broader regional discussions on climate security, while strengthening partnerships and practical cooperation to support sustainable fisheries, resilient communities, and effective management of shared marine resources.
