SEAFDEC convenes the 24FCG/ASSP

The Twenty-fourth Meeting of the Fisheries Consultative Group (FCG) of the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Strategic Partnership (ASSP) or the 24FCG/ASSP was organized through the online platform on 24-25 November 2021. The Meeting was attended by the representatives from the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Member Countries, representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat as well as the SEAFDEC Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, and senior officials of the SEAFDEC Secretariat and Departments.

The highlights of the 24FCG/ASSP include follow-up actions carried out by SEAFDEC and ASEAN Member States (AMSs) with respect to the directives given at the 53^rd Meeting of the SEAFDEC Council, meetings of ASEAN bodies related to fisheries, and other meetings of SEAFDEC. The 24FCG/ASSP was informed on the endorsement of the two regional documents, namely: Report on Stock and risk assessments of kawakawa (Euthynnus affinis) and longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol) resources in the Southeast Asian waters using ASPIC and Regional Action Plan for Management of Transboundary Species: Indo-Pacific Mackerel in the Gulf of Thailand Sub-Region, by the 43^rd Meeting of AMAF in October 2021.

Moreover, the 24FCG/ASSP took note of the programs and activities implemented in 2021 and the proposed activities for 2022 under the FCG/ASSP mechanism, as endorsed by the 44PCM including three Pipeline Projects which will be placed under the FCG/ASSP Mechanism in 2022 once the funding sources are confirmed. The 24FCG/ASSP also noted the implementation and provided guidance on the documents under the FCG/ASSP Mechanism as well as other issues that are of importance to the fisheries sector of the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Member Countries. These include the Regional Management Initiatives for Combating IUU Fishing, Regional Plan of Action for Sustainable Utilization of Neritic Tunas in the ASEAN Region, Regional Plan of Action for the Management of Fishing Capacity, CITES-related Issues, Fisheries Subsidies, and U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The results and recommendations of the 24FCG/ASSP would be submitted to the SEAFDEC Council for approval and to the ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Fisheries (ASWGFi) for endorsement to the higher authorities of the ASEAN.