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Strengthened Regional Collaboration Marks ‘Transboundary Action’ Against IUU Fishing

GEF/UNDP ATSEA-2 programme

By IW:LEARN

September 5^th, 2022

The Indonesian Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, giving opening remarks at the International Workshop on Advancing Regional Standards for Responsible Fisheries to Combat IUU Fishing.

Strengthened Regional Collaboration Marks ‘Transboundary Action’ Against IUU Fishing

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and related harmful fishing practices are among the greatest threats to ocean health, contributing to the collapse or decline of fisheries that are critical to the economic growth, food systems, and ecosystems of numerous countries around the world. However, no nation, government entity, or non-governmental organization can address IUU fishing single-handedly, hence calling for urgent collaboration and actions to fight the scourge at regional levels.

IUU fishing encompasses many illicit activities, including under-reporting the number of fish caught and using prohibited fishing gear. To address these challenges comprehensively, the GEF/UNDP/PEMSEA ATSEA-2 Project has been providing incremental support to the regional and national efforts aimed at reducing IUU fishing.

The Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) littoral countries are all members of the Regional Plan of Action to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (RPOA-IUU), which includes an Arafura-Timor Seas sub-regional group on monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS). To increase deterrence and law enforcement for the purpose of combatting illegal fishing in the region, the Directorate General of Surveillance for Marine and Fisheries Resources (Ditjen PSDKP), Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia (MMAF) as the RPOA-IUU Secretariat in collaboration with the ATSEA-2 Project organized Fisheries Intelligence Training and submitted a proposal to establish an intelligence network in the fisheries sector of the ASEAN region, as well as the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS).

Director General of PSDKP, Rear Admiral TNI Adin Nurawaluddin, through a keynote speech during the recent RPOA-IUU Fisheries Intelligence Training

Fisheries intelligence has proven to be a very effective way to prevent and combat illegal fishing practices worldwide. This is evidenced by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs (DFOC), which has established the National Fisheries Intelligence Services (NFIS) and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), which has its own intelligence unit. “The initiation of the establishment of the Fisheries Intelligence network through the RPOA-IUU will strengthen efforts to combat IUU Fishing in Southeast Asia,” said the Director General of PSDKP, Rear Admiral TNI Adin Nurawaluddin, through a keynote speech during the recent RPOA-IUU Fisheries Intelligence Training, held on 8 April 2022.

Casandra Tania, ATSEA-2 Regional Biodiversity Specialist, facilitating the virtual discussion.

The training, which was attended by 43 participants from 10 countries, presented speakers from Canada's National Fisheries Intelligence Services (NFIS), the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the University of Indonesia's Centre for Sustainable Ocean Policy (CSOP) and the Indonesian Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI). Participants came from Australia, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. Most of training participants performed well during the training, and they learned about fisheries intelligence concept and its practices in ATS countries and other region e.g. US and Canada. The participants were also highlighted the importance of data sharing and collating data from different sources.The Indonesian Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono had commanded that the surveillance of marine and fishery resources be continuously strengthened, including through international cooperation – both regionally and bilaterally. MMAF also has encouraged member nations of RPOA-IUU and G20 countries to implement responsible fisheries standards. This is an affirmation of the MMAF’s active role in the international arena in sponsoring the eradication of IUU fishing.

To that end, an event organised by the RPOA-IUU Secretariat and supported by the ATSEA-2 Project was held in Bali on 7 June 2022. Entitled Advancing Regional Standards for Responsible Fisheries to Combat IUU Fishing, the international workshop operated a hybrid format (both online and offline attendance), through which representatives from various RPAO-IUU and ASEAN countries (including Australia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea) were able to attend.

“The RPOA-IUUF and G20 member countries (must) come together to encourage the implementation of responsible fisheries standards,” said Indonesia’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, during his opening speech at the workshop. “Coinciding with the G20 presidency, this is the perfect example of Indonesia's G20 theme, namely ‘Recovering Together, Rising Together’, whereupon the world can (reconnect) and overcome IUU fishing problems," said the Minister.

The workshop set out to share best practices for the implementation of responsible fisheries practices, particularly in tackling IUU fishing by RPOA IUU and G20 countries. In addition, it aimed to accelerate the adoption of regional standards related to responsible fisheries practices in tackling IUU fishing, according to the national regulations and policies of each country.

ATSEA-2 Regional Project Manager, Handoko Adi Susanto also explained that practical policy frameworks and regional cooperation are essential to enhancing efforts to combat IUU fishing. "The ATSEA-2 Project will continue to explore concrete efforts to collaborate with RPOA-IUU and G20 members on addressing IUU fishing."

As part of ATSEA-2’s commitment to combat IUU fishing, the Project has maintained close collaboration with the RPOA-IUU Secretariat to produce various IUU assessments and reports. These include the Supporting Efforts in Developing Tools for the FAO Global Record Initiative, Review of National Policies and Regulation of RPOA-IUU Participating Countries, and Collaborative Surveillance Best Practices and Lesson Learned Against IUU Fishing. Furthermore, the Project will address factors that have constrained sustainable fisheries management in the ATS countries including overfishing, destruction of natural habitats, and IUU fishing. This will be accomplished through the implementation and adoption of comprehensive and integrated ecosystem-based approaches to natural resource management and conservation at the national and regional levels.

ATSEA-2 is the second phase of the Arafura & Timor Seas Ecosystem Action (ATSEA) programme; a regional partnership involving the governments of Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea, with the support of the Australian Government. Its objective is to collectively manage high marine and fisheries resources in the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) region. Since its inception in 2019, the programme has been working to promote sustainable development in the ATS region and improve the quality of life of its inhabitants through a combination of restoration, conservation and sustainable management of marine-coastal ecosystems. The ATS is an area of high productivity in the region and ATSEA-2 is committed to safeguarding the livelihoods and prosperity of coastal people, particularly in its transboundary areas, through the implementation of sustainable integrated concepts. ATSEA-2 is a Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded programme, managed and executed under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) Resource Facility (PRF) is an implementing partner.

For more information on the ATSEA-2 programme, please contact the Regional Project Manager, Handoko Adi Susanto (hasusanto@pemsea.org), visit the project page on iwlearn.net or the project website