Philippines Hosts East Asia Summit Workshop on Sustainable Fisheries Management

Representatives from 17 East Asia Summit (EAS) participating countries and relevant organizations open the EAS Workshop on Sustainable and Responsible Fisheries Management led by Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Eduardo Gongona, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Generoso Calonge, and Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Junever Mahilum-West. (DFA photo)

MANILA 19 November 2019 – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in partnership with the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), hosted the East Asia Summit (EAS) Workshop on Maritime Cooperation: Sustainable and Responsible Fisheries Management on 17 to 19 November 2019 in Manila, Philippines.

The Workshop is the first EAS initiative on sustainable fisheries implemented under the Manila Plan of Action to Advance the Phnom Penh Declaration on the EAS Development Initiative (2018-2022).

With more than 60 percent of the world’s population living in the Asia-Pacific and the region’s significance as one of the most important areas in the world for fisheries and aquaculture production, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Junever Mahilum-West, who is also the Director-General of the ASEAN-Philippines National Secretariat, noted the enormous challenge of meeting the increase in demand for food in the region while conserving and managing our marine and aquatic resources for future generations.

Undersecretary Eduardo Gongona, National Director of DA-BFAR, emphasized the necessity of international cooperation to manage and conserve marine resources given the interconnectedness of the world’s oceans and the fact that fisheries remain a top driver of the economies of coastal states, including the Philippines.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Generoso Calonge also noted that promoting sustainable fisheries and the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans will contribute significantly to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Workshop had five sessions: Science-Based Fisheries Management; Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction Management, and Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries; Initiatives to Address Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing; Addressing Post-Harvest Losses; and Sustainable Aquaculture/In-Land Fisheries.

Experts from 17 EAS participating countries and relevant regional organizations, including the ASEAN Secretariat and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center/Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD), exchanged views and shared best practices on planning and implementing sustainable fisheries regimes and addressing challenges to sustainable fisheries management, through the use of best available data, technology, and integrative governance. They also identified areas that may benefit from further collaboration. END