SEAFDEC Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
At the kind invitation of the Government of Singapore through its Singapore Food Agency (SFA) as the host, the Fifty-seventh Meeting of the SEAFDEC Council (57CM) was convened on 20–22 May 2025 in Singapore.
In attendance at the Meeting were the Council Directors and delegates from the SEAFDEC Member Countries, namely: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The Inaugural Ceremony of the 57CM was held on 20 May 2025 and presided over by the Chief Executive Officer of the SFA, Damian Chan. The Council unanimously elected the Council Director for Singapore, Mr. Leong Der Yao, as the Chairperson of the SEAFDEC Council for the Year 2025–2026, succeeding the Council Director for the Philippines, Ms. Drusila Esther E. Bayate, who served as the Chairperson of the SEAFDEC Council for the Year 2024–2025.
While taking note of the progress and achievements of the SEAFDEC programs and projects in 2024, the Council approved the proposed programs of activities to be undertaken in 2025, ensuring effective implementation corresponding to the priorities and needs of the countries in the Southeast Asian region.
Recognizing the ongoing priority to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the Council acknowledged the progress made by SEAFDEC in advancing initiatives related to enhancing the traceability of fish and fishery products and capacity building for port State measures inspection, as well as monitoring, control, and surveillance. The Council specifically took note of the outcomes of the “Regional Technical Consultation on the RFVR and Information Sharing to Support the Elimination of IUU Fishing” organized by SEAFDEC in April 2025 and supported the expansion of the Regional Fishing Vessels Record (RFVR) Database to include vessels less than 24 meters in length.
The Council congratulated SEAFDEC on the successful completion of the “Report on Stock and Risk Assessments of Two Seerfish Species (Scomberomorus guttatus and commerson) Resources (1950–2022) in the Southeast Asian Region using ASPIC 5.” While approving the Report, the Council requested SEAFDEC to further submit the Report to the 33rd Meeting of the ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Fisheries (33rd ASWGFi) for endorsement under the ASEAN mechanism.
Recognizing the ongoing initiatives of SEAFDEC in addressing marine debris and abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) in Southeast Asia, including fishing gear marking, ALDFG mitigation and retrieval, and relevant capacity-building programs that are aligned with regional and international guidelines, the Council encouraged SEAFDEC to continue undertaking these initiatives particularly awareness raising and capacity-building programs, promoting the adoption of retrieval technologies, as well as facilitating the sharing of best practices among the Member Countries.
The Council approved the “Regional Guidelines on Good Manufacturing and Handling Practices (GMP & GHP) for Ready-to-Eat Raw Fish and Fishery Products,” noting that the Regional Guidelines are intended to be applied in the handling, storage, transportation, and retail of ready-to-eat raw fish and fishery products for human consumption. The Council also supported SEAFDEC to submit the Regional Guidelines to the 33rd ASWGFi for endorsement under the ASEAN mechanism.
The Council acknowledged the plan of SEAFDEC to organize the Regional Technical Consultation in September 2025 in preparation for the 20th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP20) to develop the ASEAN-SEAFDEC common positions on the proposed listing of commercially exploited aquatic species (CEAS) in the CITES Appendices. Noting that there could be proposals for listing of CEAS in the CITES Appendices, including the potential proposal by the European Union to consider listing Anguilla at the genus level into the CITES Appendix II, the Council encouraged the Member Countries to actively engage their fisheries authorities in decision-making processes on CITES proposals and participate in the CITES CoP20.
The Council welcomed the initiatives of SEAFDEC in the preparation of the publication “Southeast Asian State of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SEASOFIA) 2027” and the improvement of the “Database on Fishery Statistics of Southeast Asia” in line with the new Regional Framework for Fishery Statistics of Southeast Asia (2024 Edition) that are envisaged to enhance the understanding of the status and trends of fisheries and aquaculture in the region.
The Council took note of the importance of the “Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication” and the key recommendations from the “Regional Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) Workshop: Key Recommendations for Policy and Strategic Direction” organized in March 2025. These key recommendations are crucial for advancing the sustainable small-scale fisheries of the region.
The Council appreciated the cooperation and collaboration between SEAFDEC and other regional/international agencies/organizations, particularly the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Network for Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA), INFOFISH, and World Wildlife Fund, Inc. (WWF-US), among others, in undertaking activities toward sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture in the Southeast Asian region.
On the utilization of M.V. SEAFDEC 2, which was granted by the Government of Japan to SEAFDEC in 2004, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, and Myanmar proposed to utilize the vessel for the conduct of fishery resource and environmental surveys in their respective waters in 2025.
The 57CM recommended that the SEAFDEC Secretariat launch the year 2027 as the “60th Anniversary of SEAFDEC” with special events to be organized by the SEAFDEC Secretariat and Departments to commemorate the special occasion.
As the 57CM successfully concluded, the Council encouraged SEAFDEC to continue the effective implementation of programs and projects responsive to the priorities and needs of the Member Countries. Moreover, the 57CM signified the continued commitment of the Member Countries to continue working with SEAFDEC as well as collaborating with partner organizations towards the sustainable contribution of fisheries and aquaculture to food security, economy, and well-being of the people in the Southeast Asian region.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Jiang Jun Hui, SEAFDEC National Coordinator for Singapore (JIANG_Jun_Hui@sfa.gov.sg)
Ms. Nualanong Tongdee, Information Program Coordinator, SEAFDEC Secretariat (nual@seafdec.org)
