The Seventh Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Fisheries was convened from 16th-18th May 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand. All the fisheries focal points from the participating countries, the regional expert, Mr. Somsak Chullasorn, and 3 experts from SEAFDEC, including Dr. Yasuhisa Kato, participated in the meeting. Ms. Chee Phaik Ean, Head of the Aquatic Ecosystem Section of Malaysia’s Fisheries Research Institute, attended the meeting on behalf of the Malaysian Department of Fisheries. This was the first Regional Working Group on Fisheries meeting at which the Malaysian Department of Fisheries was represented, and the group agreed to accord Ms. Chee the status of full member of the working group. Mr. Nazori Djazuli, Head of the Planning Division of the Secretariat General of Capture Fisheries, participated in the meeting as an observer. Please click here to access the report of the meeting.

The meeting agreed on: 

• a procedure for evaluating if existing fisheries management areas qualify as fisheries refugia for inclusion in a regional system;
• the format of tables for use in reporting information about (a) habitat demonstration sites that may qualify as fisheries refugia, (b) important spawning areas for significant pelagic species in the Gulf of Thailand and South China Sea, and (c) existing fisheries management areas that may qualify as fisheries refugia;
• timelines for (a) reporting information about specific locations for inclusion in a preliminary list of candidate refugia sites, (b) the finalisation of two popular articles on RWG-F activities, and (c) the development of guidelines on managing the effects of fishing in the context of the habitat demonstration sites;
• the fisheries component inputs to the Regional Strategic Action Programme, and
• a timeline for developing a national programme of activities for implementing the Strategic Action Programme, including the costing of activities.

Click here to access the report of the meeting.

The Eighth Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Fisheries will be convened in Bangkha Belitung Province of Indonesia in November 2006. The objective of the upcoming meeting will be to reach agreement on a selection of sites for inclusion in a preliminary system of fisheries refugia, and the actions required to achieve formal recognition of these sites in national waters. For more information about the fisheries component of the UNEP/GEF South China Sea Project, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it of the PCU.