Technical Consultative Meeting on RPOA of Transboundary Species Indo-Pacific Mackerel in Gulf of Thailand (20-09-2019)
The Technical Consultative Meeting on Regional Plan of Action (RPOA) of Trans-boundary Species: Indo-Pacific Mackerel in Gulf of Thailand was held in Jomtien, Chonburi province, Thailand from 12th- 13th 2019 and supported by SEAFDEC-Sweden Project. The Meeting was attended by nearly 40 representatives from the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand countries namely: Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam as well as representatives from FAO/RAF, Fisheries Refugia Project, SEAFDEC Secretariat, TD, and MFRDMD.
Mackerels (Family Scombridae) particularly the Indo-Pacific mackerel also known as short mackerel (Rastrelliger brachysoma) are the most economically important small pelagic fishes in the Southeast Asian region contributing about 38% to the small pelagic fisheries production or 11% to the total capture fisheries production in 2010. The Gulf of Thailand sub-region is one of the important fishing ground for Indo-Pacific mackerel where the peak highest catch of mackerel in the Gulf of Thailand (GoT) area caught by purse seine and falling net. Therefore, the management of trans-boundary species include Indo-Pacific Mackerel is very important and the best practices and regional action plan for management of this transboundary species needed to be built to ensure that the Indo-Pacific mackerel are sustainable harvested.
The objective of this meeting was drafting the Regional Action Plan for fisheries management of Indo-Pacific mackerel and its habitat in the Gulf of Thailand sub-region and the draft will be adopted by countries in the next meeting.
Nguyễn Tuấn Uyên