Balancing Rights through Gender Equality in the GEF Fisheries Refugia Project

The project “Establishment and Operation of a Regional System of Fisheries Refugia in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand” (Fisheries Refugia Project) was implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) executed the Project from 2016 to 2022 in partnership with the fisheries agencies of the riparian countries of the South China Sea area, namely: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

Focused mainly on establishing a regional system of fisheries management areas (fisheries refugia) in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand, the Project comprises four components including 1) establishment of operational management at 15 priority fisheries refugia, with community-based refugia management plans being the key outputs; 2) strengthening of the enabling environment for the formal designation and operational management of refugia; 3) strengthening of information management and dissemination for enhancing the national uptake of best practices in integrating fisheries management and biodiversity conservation, and in improving community acceptance of area-based approaches to fisheries and coastal environmental management; and at the national level; and 4) strengthening the cross-sectorial coordination for integrated fisheries and environmental management while harnessing national scientific and technical expertise, and knowledge required to promote policy, legal and institutional reforms for fisheries refugia management in the participating countries.

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THAILAND SPEED UP OPERATIONAL PLAN AND MANAGEMENT AT SURAT THANI REFUGIA SITE

Mr. Somporn Kuasakul, Head of Fisheries Administration and Management Group of Surat Thani Fisheries Provincial Office and concurrently an Operational Fisheries Refugia Management Board member, introduced the background to the stakeholders and participants and the purposes of the workshop held on 30 May 2022. The workshop on Fisheries Refugia Operational Management at Surat Thani Site was organized following the issuances of Notification of Surat Thani Provincial Fisheries Committee Re: Prohibition of Some Fishing Gears Fishing in the Fishing Ground within the Coastal Seas around the Area of Koh Sed, Phum Riang Subdistrict, Chaiya District, Surat Thani Province, dated 8 March 2022 and Notification of Surat Thani Province No. 1963/2565 Re: Appointment of Operational Management Board for Fisheries Refugia in the Coastal Seas around the Area of Koh Sed, Phum Riang Subdistrict, Chaiya District, Surat Thani Province, dated 11 March 2022.

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