The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center/Training Department (SEAFDEC/TD) organized an In-house Capacity Building Training Program on Fisheries Acoustics: Application and Use of the BioSonics DT-X Extreme Portable Scientific Echosounder from 10 to 13 November 2026, at SEAFDEC/TD in Samut Prakan and Srinagarind Dam in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. Supported by the U.S. Southeast Asia Fisheries Partnership, the training aimed to strengthen the technical capacity of SEAFDEC/TD and the Department of Fisheries (DOF), Thailand, in conducting hydroacoustic surveys for fisheries resource assessment.
The training brought together 15 participants (2 women and 13 men), including six researchers from SEAFDEC/TD, four researchers from DOF Thailand, four support staff, and one technical expert from the BioSonics distributor.
The program combined theoretical instruction with practical field exercises. It began on 10 November with an online technical session covering the operation of the DT-X Extreme echosounder, equipment setup, survey planning, data acquisition software, calibration, and maintenance.
On 11 November, participants travelled to Srinagarind Dam, where they installed and tested the equipment in preparation for the survey. A full-day hydroacoustic survey was conducted on 12 November, providing participants with hands-on experience in operating the echosounder and collecting acoustic data under actual field conditions. The training concluded on 13 November with a practical session on acoustic data processing and analysis using Visual Aquatic software.
The training strengthened the practical skills of SEAFDEC/TD and DOF researchers in hydroacoustic survey operations, from equipment preparation and data collection to initial data processing. It also marked an important step toward establishing an in-house technical team capable of supporting future hydroacoustic surveys and capacity-building activities.
Building on this experience, SEAFDEC/TD aims to further develop its technical expertise and support future regional training initiatives, including Training-of-Trainers programs. These efforts will contribute to strengthening science-based fisheries resource assessment and sustainable fisheries management in Southeast Asia, covering both marine and inland waters.
