Joint effort on the Sustainability of Transboundary Species: Indo-Pacific Mackerel (Rastrelliger brachysoma)

Indo-Pacific mackerel (Rastrelliger brachysoma) is an economically important species of the Southeast Asian region, which migrates around the Gulf of Thailand (GOT). However, the trends are declining and catches are becoming unstable. Aiming at sustainable fishery resource, healthy habitats as well as ensured well-being of fishing communities, the Technical Consultative Meeting on Drafting of the Regional Action Plan for Management of Transboundary Species: Indo-Pacific Mackerel (Rastrelliger brachysoma) in the Gulf of Thailand Sub-region was held on 12-13 September 2019 in Chonburi Province, Thailand. The attendees of the Meeting were representatives from the countries of the Gulf of Thailand  and South China Sea sub-regions including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam, resource persons from Sweden, Burapha University, as well as SEAFDEC officials and Regional Fisheries Policy Network members.

This Meeting was a joint effort between the SEAFDEC-Sweden Project and SEAFDEC/UNEP/GEF/ Fisheries Refugia Project to develop the Regional Action Plan for Indo-Pacific mackerel management. Both Projects have conducted several activities  such as DNA studies, data collection, among others to understand the stock and habitats of R. brachysoma. The Regional Action Plan would provide a direction within and among countries of the Southeast Asian region to work together in developing appropriate management of Indo-Pacific mackerel based on scientific information.

For more information, please check the link herewith at : https://fisheries-refugia.org/refugia-events 

Establishment and operation of a regional system of fisheries refugia in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand required a mechanism (Figure 1) to achieve the target objective to “operate and expand the network of fisheries refugia in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand for the improved management of fisheries and critical marine habitats linkages. Additionally, to ensure long term management of the fisheries refugia, the appropriated indicator sets as well as the standardized methods for collection and analysis of data and information, for the use in assessing the impacts of fisheries refugia are needed. In response to this, the Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) for the SEAFDEC/UNEP/GEF Project on Fisheries Refugia organized the Regional Meeting on Indicators for Refugia Management during September 9^th -11^th, 2019, in Pattaya, Chonburi province, Thailand. 17 participants (5 Females and 12 Males) from 6 participating countries namely, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, Viet Nam, Thailand and PCU staff attended the meeting. Throughout the brainstorming sessions, the meeting could come up the set of indicators for management of fisheries refugia

(more details in website: https://fisheries-refugia.org/regional-meeting-indicators-refugia-2019 )

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