Strategy VI: Empowering SEAFDEC to strengthen its roles in the region and to improve its services to Member Countries
Annex 13 PROGRESS OF THE ASEAN CATCH DOCUMENTATION SCHEME
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Annex 13
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In connection to this, the development of a common regional catch documentation scheme hereinafter called the “ASEAN Catch Documentation Scheme (ACDS) to enhance the intra-regional and international trade was supported at the SSOM-AMAF in 2013.
The development of the ACDS concept was initiated by SEAFDEC Secretariat (SEAFDEC/SEC) in collaboration with MFRDMD and experts/ fisheries managers from SEAFDEC Member Countries with the support from Japanese Trust Funds since 2014. One expert group meeting and one Technical consultation meeting were convened in October and December 2014 for the First Draft of ACDS, respectively. Another expert meeting convened in 2015 for finalizing the draft of ACDS, was also organized following the recommendations made by the Forty-seventh SEAFDEC Council Meeting. The results from three meetings in 2014 and 2015 could come up with the final draft ACDS Concept and draft info-graphic on the usage of ACDS for 18 scenarios of catch/trade flows into and or among the AMS in the region. To ensure that ACDS is applicable and benefit to the relevant stakeholders, namely: operators of fishing vessels, suppliers, seafood processors for export and traders who export and transship, SEAFDEC convened the Stakeholder Consultations in March 2016 with aims to introduce the concept and compile their views for further development of the appropriate system of ACDS for both electronic and manual system to cover all requirements of the SEAFDEC Member Countries. SEAFDEC is recommended to develop the electronic system of ACDS that should be included not only commercial fisheries but also considering to support small-scale fishers. In addition, at the Forty-ninth meeting of the SEAFDEC Council on April 2016, the Council suggested that the eACDS should be developed in harmonization with other existing catch documentation schemes to ensure that this would be acceptable to the EU and US Presidential Task Force, and thus, enhance trading of fish and fishery products from the Southeast Asian region, while the Council endorsed Brunei Darussalam as a pilot testing country for the eACDS. In connection to this, the ACDS concept was also endorsed by the Twenty-fifth ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Fisheries (ASWGFi) in May 2017 in Singapore. Later the concept was also adopted by the Thirty-ninth AMAF Meeting in the same year.
SEAFDEC initiated eACDS implementation in Brunei Darussalam as pilot testing of the ACDS since 2016.
The introduction of an overall system of eACDS was launched by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism of Brunei Darussalam, Dr. Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin, during the Inaugural Ceremony of the Forty-ninth Meeting of the SEAFDEC Council in June 2017.
II. THE MODULE ON PROMOTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF eACDS
The module on promotion and implementation of the eACDS in the AMSs is conducted to five (5) process activities, as follows:
1. Introduction activities. AMS was introduced to eACDS, and the scheme’s structure and function were demonstrated.
2. Baseline survey and situation analysis. A baseline survey with relevant authorities on the process of issuing CDs, MDs, and CCs in each country was conducted and analyzed. KDEs were discussed with the representative from each country and cooperation for implementing the eACDS was requested.
3. Prototype development. The eACDS prototype was developed and modified to the context of each implementing country.
4. Testing and improving the system. The eACDS was piloted with relevant users. Problems identified were solved and the system was further tailored to each country context. Relevant authorities, master fisherman, fishing vessel owns, buyers, and processers were trained on using the application.
5. IT transfer. During the testing phase, all data were stored on the SEAFDEC cloud server. When testing was completed, the database was transferred to each country to be maintained.
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III. PROGRESS ON DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRONIC ASEAN CATCH
DOCUMENTATION SCHEME (eACDS) IN ASEAN MEMBER STATES Brunei Darussalam
Since the pilot testing of the eACDS was launched in Brunei Darussalam in June 2017. The series of consultation and on-site training on the use of eACDS by all relevant Stakeholders were conducted in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries (DOF), Brunei Darussalam. Presently, the eACDS system is on the process of testing and improving the system. In 2019, the following and monitoring of testing and situation were conducted. The eACDS application also was improved and adjusted to support Brunei Darussalam as a friendly user. The use of eACDS on web-based and mobile applications (offline catch report at sea) was introduced and trained for DOF staff.
Viet Nam
The representative from Viet Nam proposed in the Fortieth Meeting of the Program Committee (40th PCM) of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) which held in Bangkok, Thailand on November 2017 that SEAFDEC could also support Viet Nam in the development of a system to apply the eACDS for marine fishery products. To follow up this proposed, the introduction of eACDS system was conducted for all relevant stakeholders and the Directorate of Fisheries (D-Fish) in Viet Nam in 2017.
Moreover, the visit and discussion on initial planning and cooperation with D-Fish for eACDS implementation through the preparation of Key Data Element for eACDS database development and selection of pilot areas were conducted in 2018.
Presently, the eACDS system is on the process of prototype development. In 2019, several activities were implemented in Binh Thuan Province, Viet Nam as a project site. The discussion on development of eACDS application, verification of eACDS application, and on-training on the use of eACDS application on web-based and mobile for officer and stakeholder in the part of Point In-Port Out, catch report at sea by offline technology, movement procedure, purchasing, request of Catch certification which came upon issuance of Catch Declaration (CD), Movement Document (CD), Statement of Catch (SC), and Catch Certification (CC) were conducted.
Myanmar
According to the Fiftieth SEAFDEC Council Meeting in March 2018, the Council Director for Myanmar looked forward to cooperate with SEAFDEC in strengthening regional cooperation to combat IUU fishing by supporting the implementation of the eACDS at the national level. To follow up this cooperation, the introduction of eACDS system was conducted for all relevant stakeholders and the Department of Fisheries (DOF), Myanmar through visit and discussion on initial planning and cooperation with DOF, Myanmar for eACDS implementation through preparation of Key Data Elements (KDEs) for eACDS database development and selection of pilot area was conducted.
Presently, the eACDS system is on the process of prototype development. In 2019, the KDEswere collected to develop eACDS database and application. The verification on development eACDS application in the part of Port In-Port out will be conducted in December in collaboration with the DOF, Myanmar.
Malaysia
Refer to the Forty-first Meeting of the Program Committee of SEAFDEC which was held on November 2018. Malaysia proposed in the Meeting to consider Malaysia as a project site for eACDS implementation.
The introduction of eACDS system was conducted for all relevant stakeholders and the Department of Fisheries, Malaysia.
In 2019, the SEAFDEC eACDS working team visited and discussed initial planning and cooperation with DOF, Malaysia through conducted baseline survey and analysis including collected KDEs for eACDS database development. Kalanton and Kuantan were selected for the project site. The verification of development eACDS application in the part of Port In-Port out will be conducted in the same week of the SEAFDEC Program Committee Meeting. Presently is in the process of prototype development.
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IV. A FUTURE PLAN FOR eACDS IMPLEMENTATION
According to SEAFDEC project in the next five-year plan (2020-2024). The eACDS activities will emphasize on:
• Continued coordination, facilitation, development and expansion of eACDS in AMSs, particularly for Viet Nam, Malaysia, Myanmar and etc. (as Member Countries requirement)
• Regional workshop to exchange information on fisheries catch documentation and traceability in AMSs
• National/regional/international network for collaborative activities to eliminate IUU fishing such as MOU with Nha Trang University for collaboration on eACDS implementation in Viet Nam.
REQUIRED CONSIDERATION BY THE MEETING
• The Twenty-second FCG/ASSP is requested to take note of the progress of the electronic ASEAN Catch Documentation Scheme (eACDS) implementation in Brunei Darussalam, Viet Nam, Myanmar, and Malaysia.
• The meeting may wish to also provide advice to promote the application of ACDS to combat IUU fishing and enhance intra-regional and international trade in fish and fishery products.
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Annex 14