Mr. Jia Hao
Sea cucumber fisherman
Sabah, Malaysia
Ms. Ming Li
Fisherwoman
Sarawak, Malaysia
Mr. Somluck Polmoltri
Fish market vendor
Trat, Thailand
Ms. Srey Chey
Blue crab harvester
Kep, Cambodia
8th June 2017: The Sustainable Development Goals, officially known as “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, are a set of seventeen aspirational global goals with 169 targets between them. SDG 14 ‘Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development’ (or ‘Life Below Water’) has very specific targets relating to reversing coastal and marine environmental degradation. In celebration of World Oceans Day 2017 and the first UN Oceans Conference, United Nations Environment and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center present this short film highlighting how implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea will contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal targets relating to ‘Life Below Water’.Click here or the thumbnail to the right to view this short ~4 minute film.
The South China Sea is a global centre of shallow water marine biological diversity that supports significant fisheries that are important to the food security and export income of Southeast Asian countries. This short film outlines efforts of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) to work with communities and governments to integrate habitat and biodiversity conservation considerations into fishery management and practices. The South China Sea Fisheries Refugia Initiative is financed by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by United Nations Environment with the aim of achieving the fisheries targets of the Strategic Action Programme for South China Sea. Click here or the thumbnail to the right to view this short ~6 minute film.
Given the limited integration of the work of fisheries and environment ministries in Southeast Asia and many other parts of the world, the establishment and operation of the regional system of fisheries refugia provides an opportunity to learn how to integrate fisheries and coastal habitat management. It is anticipated that the experience gained in the South China Sea region through this initiative will be applied in other marine areas where over-fishing and the use of inappropriate fishing gear are significant impediments to more sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources and the use of coastal habitats. To help share best practices and lessons learned a Facebook page for the initiative has been set-up at https://www.facebook.com/fisheriesrefugia/. Please like our Facebook page to receive regular updates on project progress and innovations.
Following a lengthy preparation phase, which involved several regional consultations and national workshops, this project was recently endorsed by the GEF’s Chief Executive Officer. As the regional executing entity for the project, SEAFDEC has subsequently signed a Project Cooperation Agreement with UNEP and the project has officially entered its inception phase. SEAFDEC is presently completing a series of inception phase tasks and will convene the Inception Workshop to launch this important regional project in Bangkok, Thailand from 1st to 3rd November 2016 at the Jasmine Executive Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. This workshop will address, inter alia: project coordination mechanisms; the development of a results-based management system for the project; the scientific and technical support needs of the project; the planning of stakeholder engagement, including gender mainstreaming, in project execution; the development of communications and knowledge management strategies for the project; opportunities for partnerships with other regional and national programmes and projects; UNEP/GEF project management; and national and regional work plans and budgets. Workshop documents can be accessed online here.
This initiative entitled the “Establishment and Operation of a Regional System of Fisheries Refugia in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand Sea" is working with communities and governments to integrate habitat and biodiversity conservation considerations into fishery management and practices. The initiative is financed by the Global Environment Facility, implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme, and executed regionally by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center in partnership with the government agencies responsible for fisheries in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The fisheries refugia approach, which aims to safeguard habitats critical to the life cycles of important fisheries resources, will not only improve and secure biodiversity but also build resiliency for those who rely on the ocean for their food and livelihoods. By improving the way fisheries and environment ministries work together, and by linking fishing effort with coastal management practices, this initiative will provide multiple benefits for the environment and people. Click here for more information about fisheries refugia.
Baseline coastal habitat area information can be accessed on Goggle Maps by clicking here. Google Earth users can load this information and data by clicking here.
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