1. The FAO Regional Workshop on the Elaboration of National Plans of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing was held at the City Bayview Hotel, Penang, Malaysia, from 10 to 14 October 2004.
2. The Workshop was attended by 31 participants from FAO Members countries and three observers. A list of participants and observers is attached as Appendix B.
3. Mr David Doulman, Senior Fishery Liaison Officer, FAO Fisheries Department, Rome, Italy and Technical Secretary of the Workshop, was invited to make an address. He welcomed participants to the Workshop, extending the welcome on behalf of Mr Ichiro Nomura, Assistant Director-General for Fisheries, FAO Fisheries Department and Mr He Changchui, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific. Mr Doulman noted that this was the second Workshop of this type to be held. He reiterated that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing occurred in all capture fisheries and that it was a major focus of international attention because such fishing undermined efforts to sustainably manage fisheries. Mr Doulman added that the 2001 FAO International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IPOA-IUU) was intended to be implemented by all countries with wide stakeholder participation. He added that the national plans of action to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (NPOAs-IUU) were key elements in implementing the IPOA-IUU. Mr Doulman’s statement is attached as Appendix D.
4. The Honourable Mr Y. Bhg. Dato’ Junaidi Che Ayub, Director-General of Fisheries, Malaysia, accompanied by Mr Mohd Najib bin Ramli, Penang State Director of Fisheries, addressed the Workshop and welcomed participants. The Director-General referred to the universal nature of IUU fishing and the concern it had created internationally. In this connection, he recalled that the United General Secretary General in 1999 had advised the General Assembly that IUU fishing was “...one of the most severe problems currently affecting world fisheries ...”. The Director-General stated that Malaysia recognized that IUU fishing was a major problem that undermined fisheries management and that initiatives should be undertaken to combat such fishing. He urged all participants to take steps to develop their NPOAs-IUU. The Director-General, in his closing remarks, proposed that a network be established following the Workshop to exchange information about IUU fishing among countries in Southeast Asia. His statement is attached as Appendix E.
