Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries co-hosted the RSTC7 in Jakarta, Indonesia

The Head of Agency for Marine and Fisheries Research and Human Resource (AMFRHR), Dr. I Nyoman Radiarta, S.Pi. M.Sc, on behalf of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) and concurrently the SEAFDEC Alternate Council for Indonesia, gave a welcome and opened the 7th Meeting of the Regional Scientific and Technical Committee for the SEAFDEC/UNEP/GEF Project on Establishment and Operation of a Regional System of Fisheries Refugia in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand held in Jakarta from 8-10 November 2022. He stated that Southeast Asia supports food security and provides a source of income for countries bordering the South China Sea & the Gulf of Thailand, including Indonesia. He was enthusiastic about being part of the fisheries refugia project to build Southeast Asian fisheries resilience, enhance stakeholders' understanding of the interrelationship of ecosystems and fisheries, and engage in dialogue between participating countries.

He also stated that the fisheries refugia concept is in line with the fisheries management policy of the MMAF by setting boundaries for fishing areas based on stock status conditions and critical fishery habitats linkage towards the effective fishing policies measures. All the participating countries are committed to completing all output targets of the project goals and objectives. In Indonesia, the results of the refugia identification will be handover to the Directorate General Capture Fisheries, Local Government, and other relevant agencies as a basis for further formulating fisheries refugia policies to support fisheries sustainability in Indonesia. Accordingly, Dr. Taweekiet Amornpiyakrit, on behalf of the SEAFDEC Secretary-General, Madam Malinee Smithrithee, exchanged a token of appreciation with Dr. I Nyoman Radiarta, S.Pi. M.Sc. (For more detailed information please click here to access)