SEAFDEC Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
The Forty-eighth Meeting of the SEAFDEC Program Committee (48PCM) was successfully convened on 3–5 November 2025 in Langkawi, Malaysia, graciously hosted by the SEAFDEC Marine Fishery Resources Development and Management Department (MFRDMD).
Chaired by Ms. Sampan Panjarat, Secretary-General of SEAFDEC, the Meeting brought together Program Committee Members and delegations from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia (online), Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The Deputy Secretary-General, Department Chiefs, and officers from the SEAFDEC Secretariat and Departments were also in attendance. Representatives from collaborating partners, including FAO/RAP, JICA, and WWF-US, participated as observers.
The 48PCM served as a vital platform to review the progress and achievements of the ongoing programs and projects under the Fisheries Consultative Group of the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Strategic Partnership (FCG/ASSP) Mechanism. The Meeting endorsed the proposed project activities for 2026, which will be submitted to the higher authorities of ASEAN and SEAFDEC.
Moreover, the Meeting discussed several key regional initiatives, including: Departmental Program and Other Programs, the Mid-term Evaluation (2025) of the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Resolution and Plan of Action on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security for the ASEAN Region Towards 2030, the progress of the Regional Fisheries Policy Network (RFPN) Program, and the preparation of the Southeast Asian State of Fisheries and Aquaculture 2027.
The 48PCM was convened back-to-back with the 28th Meeting of the Fisheries Consultative Group of the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Strategic Partnership (28FCG/ASSP), providing an opportunity for SEAFDEC and ASEAN Member States to strengthen collaboration and chart the way forward for sustainable fisheries development in the region.
