SEAFDEC Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
The SEAFDEC Secretariat organized the “Online Meeting on Data Submission for SEAFDEC Fishery Statistical Database” on 16 March 2026. The Meeting was attended by the Members of the ASEAN Network on Fishery Statistics and delegates from ASEAN Member States (AMSs), namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, and Viet Nam, via an online platform, except for Thailand, whose representatives attended in person. The Meeting was also attended by the SEAFDEC Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, senior officials and information-related officers from the SEAFDEC Secretariat, and the Regional Fisheries Policy Network (RFPN).
The Meeting discussed challenges faced by AMSs in reporting fishery statistics under the new Statistics Framework (2024 Edition), particularly in completing the twenty-two (22) statistical questionnaires and interpreting certain requirements. In response to these challenges, the Meeting agreed on the revised questionnaires to enhance clarity and facilitate more accurate reporting. Upon approval of the SEAFDEC Council, the revised questionnaires will be applied for the compilation of fishery statistics from the AMSs.
Moreover, the draft version of the new Fishery Statistical Database was presented at the Meeting for comments and feedback. Designed to be more user-friendly, featuring enhanced functionalities, including the generation of tabulations through various query options, the new Statistical Database is scheduled to be officially launched at the 58th Meeting of the SEAFDEC Council in May 2026. The outcomes of the Meeting are expected to contribute significantly to ensuring its operational readiness.
