SEAFDEC/Training Department

𝗔 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻 “𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱”

Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center organized a training course on “Marine Resource Management under the Legal Framework of Thailand” on 8 May 2026 at the Training Department of SEAFDEC (SEAFDEC/TD) in Samut Prakan, Thailand. The training aimed to strengthen SEAFDEC staff's understanding of Thailand’s fisheries laws, policies, and management measures related to sustainable marine resource management.

The training was attended by 52 staff members from SEAFDEC/Secretariat and various divisions of SEAFDEC/TD, including the Research and Development Department, Planning and Project Management Division, and Training and Research Support Division. The course was delivered by 𝗠𝗿. 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁, Director of the Human Resources Management Division of the Department of Fisheries, Thailand and his team.

Key sessions covered the overview of Thailand’s fisheries legal framework, management measures for marine fisheries resources, and the application of fisheries laws and regulations in resource management practices. The training also provided opportunities for participants to discuss and exchange views, enhancing their capacity to support sustainable fisheries management in the region.

𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗙𝗗𝗘𝗖/𝗧𝗗 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗢𝗙 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗠𝗖𝗥 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱

On 7 May 2026, SEAFDEC/TD collaborated with Thailand's Department of Fisheries (DOF) and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) held the “Online Consultation Meeting to Mitigate the Impacts of Fishing Gear on Marine Mammals”. During the meeting, the DOF emphasized their continued efforts to utilize "High-Frequency Acoustic Transmitter Technology," or pingers—small, compact acoustic devices attached to fishing gillnets—to meet international safety requirements, particularly the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Meanwhile, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) provided updates on their studies and efforts to conserve the Irrawaddy dolphin, a rare and vulnerable species, with novel high-frequency sound technology.

A crucial conclusion of the online meeting was a commitment from all three organizations to work together on producing a new, locally customized version of this pinger device. SEAFDEC/TD will play a key role in developing solutions that are tailored to Thailand's unique maritime environment and easy for local fishermen to implement. Working together, these organizations are taking crucial steps to protect dolphins and other marine species from the threats posed by fishing gear, not just in Thailand but across the region.

𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗙𝗗𝗘𝗖/𝗧𝗗 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗶 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗺 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Two SEAFDEC/TD researchers, Mr. Santiphong Putsa (Fishing Technology Researcher) and Dr. Supapong Pattarapongpan (Fishery Oceanographic Researcher), participated in the “Brunei Darussalam Expedition on Sustaining Our Oceans: Innovation, Governance, and Resilience For A Blue Future” held from 4 to 6 May 2026 at Pelong Rocks, Brunei Darussalam. This event was organized by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, Brunei Darussalam.

During the expedition, Mr. Santiphong provided technical expertise and support in the study of marine debris and Abandoned, Lost, or Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG), particularly from samples collected through diving-based retrieval activities. This included classification, measurement, weighing, and systematic data recording. Meanwhile, Dr. Supapong provided technical expertise and support in fish stock surveys and estimation.

Their contributions are expected to enhance the capacity of officers and researchers from the Department of Fisheries of Brunei Darussalam who participated in the expedition, benefit the fishery development aspects of SEAFDEC Member Countries, and strengthen future events and collaborations.

𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽—𝘄𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀 (𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆!) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗙𝗗𝗘𝗖. 🐟 ✨🌳

Internship University 2026 "𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽—𝘄𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀 (𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆!) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁?...

𝗚𝗼𝗧𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝘁 “𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀” 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀”

The GoTFish Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) supported six representatives (five females and one male) from participating countries to attend the FAO informal meeting, “Seas of Change: Shared Insights for supporting Small-Scale Fisheries in the Gulf of Thailand and Bay of Bengal,” on 26 April 2026, as well as TBTI’s “5th World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress (5WSSFC)”, 27 April–1 May 2026. Both events were held at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Hua Hin, Thailand.

The “Seas of Change” meeting brought together representatives from the GoTFish and BOBLME-II projects, including fisheries government officials engaged in implementation, to exchange practical experiences and share knowledge that can inspire and inform national-level actions, particularly in support of small-scale fisheries. Through project briefings, facilitated discussion, and interactive group work, participants identified transferable lessons and practical next steps related to transboundary shared stock governance, the ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM), and strategies to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The meeting also provided an opportunity to explore initiatives, including ecological corridors and the blue economy approaches.

Through its commitment to strengthening regional cooperation and capacity development, the GoTFish Project supported representatives from participating countries to attend the 5WSSFC. This support enabled active participation in plenary and technical sessions, addressing key issues such as governance, sustainability, equity, and food security, while ensuring that regional perspectives—particularly from the Gulf of Thailand and Bay of Bengal—were effectively reflected in global dialogues and partnerships.

On 28 April 2026, FAO/RAP, in collaboration with the GoTFish and BOBLME-II projects, convened a special panel session at the 5WSSFC entitled “Advancing Small-Scale Fisheries Sustainability through Ecosystem Approach and Other Governance Measures: Lessons from the Gulf of Thailand and Bay of Bengal.” The session brought together policy-makers, technical experts, and practitioners to explore how sub-regional cooperation, ecosystem approaches to fisheries (EAF), and market and value-chain incentives can be strategically aligned. Supported by coherent and enabling governance frameworks, the discussions emphasized actionable pathways to advance more sustainable and resilient small-scale fisheries in the Gulf of Thailand and the Bay of Bengal.

In addition, the GoTFish Project Steering Committee (PSC) Member for Thailand, Dr. Pavarot Noranarttragoon, and the GoTFish Chief Technical Advisor of the RCU, Dr. Worawit Wanchana, delivered oral presentations highlighting key regional issues and collaborative solutions advanced under the project. Their contributions addressed critical challenges in the Gulf of Thailand, including shared-stock governance, ecosystem-based fisheries management, and the application of multispecies stock assessment frameworks to support cooperative, science-based and evidence-informed fisheries management.

🌊 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝘆 🐟
Every tuna protected is a heartbeat restored. 💙

#วันทูน่าโลก

𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗙𝗗𝗘𝗖-𝗕𝗢𝗕𝗟𝗠𝗘 𝗜𝗜 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀

The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), under the BOBLME II Project, supported nine representatives (7 females and 2 males) to participate in the “Seas of Change: Shared Insights for Supporting Small-Scale Fisheries in the Gulf of Thailand and Bay of Bengal” meeting, convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 26 April 2026 in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand. This was followed by their participation in the 5th World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress (5WSSFC), held from 27 April to 1 May 2026 at the same venue. The Congress was co-hosted by TBTI Global in collaboration with its global network of hubs and partner organizations.

The delegation was led by Ms. Panitnard Weerawat, Head of the Research and Development Division of SEAFDEC/Training Department (TD) and included SEAFDEC/TD staff and representatives from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The “Seas of Change” meeting brought together practitioners from the BOBLME II and GoTFish projects to exchange experiences and align priorities for supporting small-scale fisheries across the Gulf of Thailand and Bay of Bengal. Through discussions and group work, participants identified key lessons and explored opportunities for collaboration on transboundary governance, ecosystem approaches to fisheries management (EAFM), and addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The meeting also highlighted linkages with ecological connectivity and the blue economy.

On 28 April 2026, project-supported country representatives contributed as speakers in a session titled “Advancing Small-Scale Fisheries Sustainability through Ecosystem Approaches and Governance Measures: Lessons from the Gulf of Thailand and Bay of Bengal,” attended by over 50 participants. The session emphasized the importance of sub-regional cooperation, ecosystem-based approaches, and value chain incentives, supported by coherent governance frameworks to enhance the sustainability and resilience of small-scale fisheries.

These activities were conducted under the BOBLME II Project, implemented by FAO in partnership with IUCN, BOBP-IGO, and SEAFDEC, with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).