The “ASEAN Guidelines for Preventing the Entry of Fish and Fishery Products from IUU Fishing Activities into the Supply Chain” (ASEAN Guidelines) take into consideration relevant international trade-related measures that prohibit the marketing of fish and fishery products derived through unsustainable means and from unsustainable sources. In this regard, SEAFDEC/MFRDMD in cooperation with the SEAFDEC/Secretariat had conducted series of consultative meetings involving all SEAFDEC Member Countries especially with Singapore as the ASEAN Lead Country of the program, experts from national and regional organizations to identify issues of IUU fishing activities that occur in the Southeast Asian waters. Thus, these ASEAN Guidelines enhance the credibility and competitiveness of the region’s fish and fishery products.
In 2011, the SEAFDEC Training Department (SEAFDEC/TD) in collaboration with the Marine Fishery Resources Development and Management Department (SEAFDEC/MFRDMD) initiated the project on the promotion of fishing license, boats registration and port state measures to combat IUU fishing in the region, with funding from Japanese Trust Fund II. SEAFDEC/MFRDMD is responsible for the activity on preventing the export of IUU fish and fishery products. The objective of the activity under SEAFDEC/MFRDMD is to formulate a regional guideline to prevent export of IUU fish and fishery products. The activities conducted by MFRDMD in 2011 include gathering information regarding export of fisheries products from ASEAN member states using questionnaires and also co-organising the regional core expert meeting for information gathering regarding export of fisheries products and recommendation on information required for development of a regional guidelines. The first Regional Core Experts Meeting on Fishing License, Boats Registration and Information Gathering on Export of Fisheries Products in Southeast Asia was held from 4 to 7 October 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand. Information and
experiences on export of fish and fishery products from the SEAFDEC member countries were discussed in the meeting. The meeting also highlighted a substantial volume of fish and fishery products exported from the SEAFDEC Member Countries. In general, the meeting had agreed that all countries should aim to promote export of value-added fishery products from non-IUU fishing activities in the future. The output from the meeting is a format of the regional guideline to prevent the export of products from IUU fishing products (Annex 1).
The Regional Core Expert Meeting on Preventing Export of IUU Fishing Products in Southeast Asia was organized by SEAFDEC/MFRDMD at Concorde Inn KLIA, Sepang, Malaysia from 20th to 22nd November 2012 (Figure 5). SEAFDEC/MFRDMD aim to come up with a draft regional guideline to prevent export of IUU fishing products. Information regarding issues, process and procedures in export of fish and fishery products of SEAFDEC member countries was crucial for outlining further actions. A set of questionnaires for collection of such information was developed by SEAFDEC/MFRDMD and sent to member countries to be filled up by competence authorities on fish and fishery products trade. The information envisaged to be collected through the information gathering include existing law, status of NPOA-IUU, pre-requirement for export, requirement for export, awareness of IUU fishing and identification of IUU fishing products. The questions regarding existing national law, status of NPOA-IUU, awareness of IUU fishing and identification of IUU fishing products will reflect the readiness of countries in combating IUU fishing. The questions regarding pre-requirement and requirement for export were based on the compliance of countries to the EC Regulation 1005/2008 and countries presently exporting fish and fisheries products to EU.
Figure 5: Participants of the Regional Core Expert Meeting on Preventing Export of IUU Fishing Products in Southeast Asia from 20th to 22nd November 2012
A Meeting with Malaysian Officials for Preparation of the “Core Expert Meeting on Combating IUU Fishing in Southeast Asian Region through Application of Catch Certification for International Trade in Fish and Fishery Products” was conducted at KL International Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 – 13 June 2013.
experiences on export of fish and fishery products from the SEAFDEC member countries were discussed in the meeting. The meeting also highlighted a substantial volume of fish and fishery products exported from the SEAFDEC Member Countries. In general, the meeting had agreed that all countries should aim to promote export of value-added fishery products from non-IUU fishing activities in the future. The output from the meeting is a format of the regional guideline to prevent the export of products from IUU fishing products (Annex 1).
The Regional Core Expert Meeting on Preventing Export of IUU Fishing Products in Southeast Asia was organized by SEAFDEC/MFRDMD at Concorde Inn KLIA, Sepang, Malaysia from 20th to 22nd November 2012 (Figure 5). SEAFDEC/MFRDMD aim to come up with a draft regional guideline to prevent export of IUU fishing products. Information regarding issues, process and procedures in export of fish and fishery products of SEAFDEC member countries was crucial for outlining further actions. A set of questionnaires for collection of such information was developed by SEAFDEC/MFRDMD and sent to member countries to be filled up by competence authorities on fish and fishery products trade. The information envisaged to be collected through the information gathering include existing law, status of NPOA-IUU, pre-requirement for export, requirement for export, awareness of IUU fishing and identification of IUU fishing products. The questions regarding existing national law, status of NPOA-IUU, awareness of IUU fishing and identification of IUU fishing products will reflect the readiness of countries in combating IUU fishing. The questions regarding pre-requirement and requirement for export were based on the compliance of countries to the EC Regulation 1005/2008 and countries presently exporting fish and fisheries products to EU.
Figure 5: Participants of the Regional Core Expert Meeting on Preventing Export of IUU Fishing Products in Southeast Asia from 20th to 22nd November 2012
A Meeting with Malaysian Officials for Preparation of the “Core Expert Meeting on Combating IUU Fishing in Southeast Asian Region through Application of Catch Certification for International Trade in Fish and Fishery Products” was conducted at KL International Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 – 13 June 2013.
In the third quarter of 2013, The Regional Core Expert Meeting on Combating IUU Fishing in Southeast Asian Region Through Application of Catch Certification for International Trade in Fish and Fishery Products” was organized at Quality Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 7 – 9 October 2013 (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Participants the Regional Core Expert Meeting on Combating IUU Fishing in Southeast Asian Region Through Application of Catch Certification for International Trade in Fish and Fishery Products 7 – 9 Oct 2013
To expedite finalizing the ASEAN Guidelines a series of meeting was organized in 2014. First a meeting with Malaysian officials was organized from to further developed the regional guidelines from 10th to11th February 2014 at the Empress Hotel, Salak Tinggi, Malaysia. After that, an IUU project discussion between officials from SEAFDEC/Secretariat and SEAFDEC/MFRDMD convened from 28 – 30 April 2014 at SEAFDEC/MFRDMD, Terengganu, Malaysia and a meeting with Singapore (ASEAN Lead Country) on Combating IUU Fishing in Southeast Asian Region was organized on the 25th of August. 2014 at Furama Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The ASEAN Guidelines was finalized at the Regional Technical Consultation (RTC) on the Regional Guidelines for Preventing the Entry of Fish and Fishery Products from IUU Fishing Activities into the Supply Chain from the 23rd to 25th of September 2014 at the Horizon Hotel in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia (Figure 7). The meeting was attended by representatives from AMSs, officials from SEAFDEC/SEC, SEAFDEC/TD and SEAFDEC/MFRDMD.
Figure 7: Participants attending the Regional Technical Consultation (RTC) on the Regional Guidelines for Preventing the Entry of Fish and Fishery Products from IUU Fishing Activities into the Supply Chain from the 23rd to 25th of September 2014