SEAFDEC Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
SEAFDEC and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) co-organized the Regional Capacity Building Workshop for Strengthening SEAFDEC and its Members’ Capacity in Responding to FIRMS & SDG 14.4.1 Data Calls in support of FAO’s State of Stocks Index (SoSI)from 8 to 10 September 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Workshop was attended by representatives from the SEAFDEC Member Countries, namely: Brunei Darussalam (online), Cambodia (online), Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam, as well as experts from FAO, and officials from the SEAFDEC Secretariat and Training Department. The Workshop aimed to improve reporting of fishery stock status through better use of available data for assessments, and a coordinated regional approach better aligned with FAO’s updated methodology on the State of Stocks Index.
During the opening session, the SEAFDEC Secretary-General, Dr. Suttinee Limthammahisorn, welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of enhancing regional participation in global stock status reporting and improving the visibility of Southeast Asia’s fisheries in global assessments. In addition, in contributing to relevant development by SEAFDEC, Ms. Saivason Klinsukhon, Senior Information Officer of the SEAFDEC Secretariat, delivered presentations on “Data and Information Available from SEAFDEC in Support of SDG 14.4.1 Reference List of Stocks” and “Strengthening SEAFDEC-FAO Partnership and Knowledge Sharing with Member Countries.”
With technical support from FAO, the participants were introduced to new approaches for the State of Stocks Index or SoSI and the application of data-limited methods using the FAO SDG 14.4.1 VRE. The Workshop also identified challenges and provided recommendations on possible solutions for improving reporting and enhancing convergence between SDG 14.4.1 and SoSI. Furthermore, an Action Plan was developed to strengthen data collection and reporting in preparation for the next SoSI/FIRMS/SDG 14.4.1 data call.
This Workshop was organized under the framework of the Letter of Agreement between SEAFDEC and FAO and formed part of the ongoing partnership between SEAFDEC and FAO/FIRMS to strengthen regional collaboration, improve data reporting, and promote science-based sustainable fisheries management.
