Since its establishment, SEAFDEC has been implementing fisheries-related programs and projects that cover wide aspects of research, training and information. Starting in 2007, the SEAFDEC Secretariat and Departments made full use of the Information Strategies as guiding principles in formulating and implementing information-related activities that aim to enhance the Center’s image and visibility. The Information Strategies have been developed with the objective of enhancing the effectiveness of the implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the progress of SEAFDEC information-related activities.
In 2019, the progress and achievements made by SEAFDEC in the implementation of information activities were monitored and discussed during the 20th Meeting of the Information Staff Program (ISP) from 15 to 17 October 2019 in Puerto Princesa, Philippines.
The progress of the activities corresponding to the five Information Strategies is shown below:
Strategy 1: Production of relevant, timely, and useful information material to meet the requirements of the target audience
• Technical/scientific materials: 49 title/issues: 14,919 copies produced, 5,630 copies distributed, and 4,781 e-copy distributed
• Technical videos: 32 titles, 32 hardcopies produced, and 532 online views (no hardcopy distributed)
• Technical/scientific articles: 64 titles: 26 titles published in SEAFDEC publications, and 38 titles published in non-SEAFDEC publications
• Inquiries for information through the SEAFDEC libraries recorded and replied: 3,474 queries recorded, 1,822 materials sold, and 18,874 citations
Strategy 2: Raising SEAFDEC image at national, regional, and international levels
• Promotional materials: 25 titles/issues: 28,494 copies produced, 20,357 copies distributed, and 9,112 e-copies distributed
• Promotional souvenirs: 14,635 items produced, and 9,950 items distributed
• Promotion videos: 4 titles: 3 hardcopies produced, and 338 online views (no hardcopy distributed)
• SEAFDEC websites established: SEAFDEC Secretariat and Departmental websites received a total of 105,701 unique visitors, 9,846 links from other websites
• Project websites: 1,313 unique visitors, and 12 links from other websites
• Social media administered by SEAFDEC: 22,950 unique visitors, and 110,388 likes
• Participation in exhibitions and related events: joined 11 exhibitions with 48,786 visitors recorded at SEAFDEC exhibition booths and displays
• Official press statements released: thirty-two (32) press statements released, and recorded 152 appearances of SEAFDEC in public media and websites
Strategy 3: Enhancing communication and information sharing both within SEAFDEC and with Member and non-Member Countries, other international/
regional organizations, and public
• Management of libraries of SEAFDEC Secretariat and Departments: SEAFDEC Secretariat and Departments libraries continued to provide library services
• Additional acquisitions of SEAFDEC libraries: total of 306 issues of newsletters/serial publications, 292 titles of technical publications and 175 items of audio-visual materials were acquired
• Cooperation and exchange of materials: sustained cooperation with 485 network libraries within and outside the region
• Dissemination of technical and promotional materials: 55 titles (with 5,730 copies) of technical materials, and 34 titles (with 22,389 copies) of promotional materials disseminated to target groups
• Accessibility of information materials: 7,200 downloadable materials, 4,126,200 downloads during reporting year, and 8 databases made accessible in SEAFDEC websites
• The Institutional Repository: 1,368,326 accesses, 1,341,931 unique visitors; 1,188 titles uploaded during reporting year, 9,314 accumulated titles, and 1,783,347 accumulated downloads
• Usage of e-mail systems (including e-groups) to facilitate communications both among SEAFDEC staffs and with other concerned personalities had been enhanced
• Direct visitors to SEAFDEC Secretariat and Departments: recorded a total number of 12,713 visitors
• Participation of SEAFDEC officials to events organized by other organizations: 330 SEAFDEC officials participated in 206 events: 92 officials in events at regional/
international levels, and 114 at national/local levels
• Number of presentations made by SEAFDEC Staff at non-SEAFDEC events: 25 oral presentations in events at regional/international levels; and 12 oral presentations, and 1 poster presentation in events at national/local levels
• SEAFDEC events organized:
o International/regional meetings, seminars, workshops: 32 meetings with 1,169 participants
o National/local meeting, seminars, workshops, consultations: 19 meetings with 414 participants
o International/regional training courses: 23 courses with 220 trainees o National, on-site training courses: 38 courses with 775 trainees o Study tours: 5 programs with 73 trainees
o Internships: 1 group with 5 interns
o On-the-job training: 5 colleges participated with a total of 244 students o Internal meetings: 17 meetings with 2,305 participants
• Participation of officials from Member Countries in events organized by SEAFDEC:
o International/regional meetings, seminars, workshops (583 participants) o National/local meetings, seminars, workshops, consultations (379 participants) o International/regional training courses (159 trainees)
o National on-site training courses (775 trainees) o Study tours (35 trainees)
o Internships (11 persons)
o On-the-Job training (241 students)
• Network and cooperation mechanisms established (now with 63 fisheries-related organizations) for the implementation of collaborative activities at national, regional and international levels
• Support from other organizations and donor agencies for relevant activities solicited:
total support received in 2019: US$ 6,004,984 representing non-regular sources of funds for the activities of SEAFDEC
Strategy 4: Strengthening SEAFDEC capability in information-related activities
• Capabilities of SEAFDEC staff in information-related offices enhanced (through HRD taking into account the scope and requirements of concerned staff, and during annual ISP Meetings)
• Financial sustainability of SEAFDEC institutional publications and information activities boosted (through intensified sale of technical publications and souvenir items on cost- recovery basis)
Strategy 5: Regular monitoring and evaluation of information activities
• Feedback on materials produced by SEAFDEC obtained (developed for the training, research, and information transfer through communication channels, e.g. dedicated e-mail, etc.)
• Nineteenth Meeting of the SEAFDEC Information Staff Program (ISP) organized to monitor the implementation of information-related activities, in accordance with the Information Strategies for Enhance SEAFDEC Visibility and Communication (convened on 15-17 October 2019 in Philippines)
Table 1. Participation of Member Countries in SEAFDEC Events in 2019 Category
Participants from Member Countries (persons)
Brunei Darussalam Cambodia Indonesia Japan Lao PDR Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Viet Nam
SEAFDEC regional/international
meetings, seminars, workshops 18 57 104 39 41 51 37 47 14 130 45
SEAFDEC national/local meetings, seminars, workshops, consultations
0 4 0 3 130 47 3 22 0 150 20
International/
regional training courses 2 15 9 5 2 17 11 64 4 19 11
National, on-site training
courses (course/trainees) 42 20 219 0 24 8 0 223 0 188 51
Study tours
(no. of program/trainees) 0 5 0 0 30 0 0 0 0 0 0
Internships (group/persons) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 5 0
On-the-job training
(college/students) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 236 0 5 0
SEAFDEC internal events 0 0 50 32 0 2 10 294 0 1457 1