In promoting the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries in developing countries, various donors have emphasized the need for strengthening fisheries management. In light of this development, the linkage between fishery statistics, stock assessment and management cannot be overemphasised. Good information provides the basis for stock assessment, while the outcomes from assessments serve as the foundation for management action. It will be important that managers of fisheries in the South and Southeast Asia enact strategies that ensure the provision of good information from the fishing industry. A condition for issuance/renewal of a fishing licence should be the provision of catch information by the licence holders.
In the context of strengthening fisheries management, institutionalizing a management plan would help managers in conceptualizing the management framework. A management plan assures routine communication between manager and stakeholders, including scientists. This will lead to a better understanding of what kinds of information are needed for managing the concerned fisheries, and the present status of exploitation and potential management measures that may be required to combat possible overexploitation. In the process of developing a management plan, consultation and negotiation with stakeholders should take place often as a means to assure a participatory approach. It is through this process that issues on statistics and other information as well as on stock assessment can be subject to systematic scrutiny. It is thus of relevance that FAO's initiative in promoting the concept of a fisheries management plan in the region be continued in the near future.
