SEAFDEC takes part in the Intersessional Meetings of Aquaculture and Fisheries Subject Group and the 27th Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics

The Information Program Coordinator, Ms. Nualanong Tongdee, and Senior Information Officer, Ms. Saivason Klinsukhon, of the SEAFDEC Secretariat attended the “Intersessional Meetings of Aquaculture and Fisheries Subject Groups” on 20–23 June 2022 and “27th Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics (27CWP)” on 24 June 2022 through the online platform. Hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the two Meetings were participated in by thirteen partners of the CWP including SEAFDEC. The aim of the Meetings was to discuss the progress made by CWP partners in relation to its scopes and frameworks as well as the activities and achievements of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Subject Groups after the 26CWP held in 2019 i.e. revision of the CWP Handbook and web pages; works by the ad-hoc Task Groups on Catch Concepts, Fishing Effort Concepts, Aquaculture, Reference Harmonization for Capture Fisheries and Aquaculture Statistics, and Best Practices for Streamlining Statistical data workflow. Moreover, to the Meetings also discussed the works to be undertaken until the next 28CWP, and the results from the Intersessional Meetings were submitted to and adopted by the 27CWP.

During the Intersessional Meeting, Ms. Saivason reported the progress of SEAFDEC activities in relation to fisheries statistics during the first half of 2022 including the publication “Southeast Asian State of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SEASOFIA) 2022” which made use of statistics and information to support  the reporting of the status and trends of fisheries in the region. She also reported the plan of SEAFDEC to organize the “Second Regional Technical Consultation on Fishery Statistics and Information of Southeast Asia” on 23–26 August 2022 to discuss with the ASEAN Member States the revision of the Regional Framework for Fishery Statistics of Southeast Asia which was adopted since 2007 specifically the parts of marine and inland capture production, aquaculture, fishers and fish farmers, and producer prices. In this connection, SEAFDEC looks forward to the support from FAO in the process of streamlining the Regional Framework with standards, definitions, and classifications adopted by the CWP.