SEAFDEC Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
On 16 March 2026, SEAFDEC Secretary-General, Ms. Sampan Panjarat, warmly welcomed the Senior Fishery Officer, Dr. Benjamin Belton, and Fishery and Aquaculture Officer, Ms. Angela Lentisco, from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAO/RAP), which is based in Bangkok, Thailand. The Meeting provided an opportunity to discuss and exchange views on potential areas of collaboration between SEAFDEC and FAO.
While congratulating Dr. Benjamin on his new position as Senior Fishery Officer, Ms. Sampan also highlighted the ongoing collaborative projects with FAO, including the Sustainable Management of Fisheries, Marine Living Resources and Their Habitats in the Bay of Bengal Region for the Benefit of Coastal States and Communities (BOBLME Phase II) Project, the Project “Promoting the Blue Economy and Strengthening Fisheries Governance of the Gulf of Thailand through the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (GoTFish Project), and the Letter of Agreement (LOA) between FAO and SEAFDEC for implementation of “Mixed Stock Fisheries in the Asia Pacific: Identifying key technical limitations and providing practical solutions for management”, as well as subjects on combat IUU fishing, small-scale fisheries, aquaculture, among others. These initiatives contribute to regional efforts to support Member Countries in the sustainable management of fisheries resources.
She reaffirmed SEAFDEC’s commitment to further advancing collaboration with FAO and emphasized the importance of promoting knowledge exchange and strengthening practical cooperation to deliver tangible benefits to the people and the fisheries sector of the region.
