RAP PUBLICATION 2005/23

APFIC Regional workshop

Mainstreaming fisheries co-management

Siem Reap, Cambodia, 9-12 August 2005

Table of Contents

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The Senior Fishery Officer
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
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Bangkok 10200
THAILAND
Tel: (+66) 2 697 4000
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E-mail: [email protected]

Report of the Regional workshop on mainstreaming fisheries co-management held in Siem Reap, Cambodia from 9 to 12 August 2005. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, RAP Publication 2005/23, 48 p.

ABSTRACT

This is the report of the APFIC regional workshop on "Mainstreaming fisheries co-management". The goal of the workshop was to provide a forum to learn from past experience and to promote devolved management of fisheries. Participants at the workshop had the opportunity to be exposed to a range of coastal and inland fisheries co-management interventions and the elaboration of approaches needed to make fisheries co-management a "mainstream" activity in developing countries. The objective of the workshop was to develop summary conclusions on the status of co-management in the region and provide some concrete recommendations for action towards mainstreaming fishery co-management in the Asia-Pacific region. The report contains the action plan and recommendations of the workshop.

Many agencies (both governmental and non-governmental) are striving to improve the livelihoods of poor people that are dependent on aquatic resources by including these stakeholders in the planning and implementation of fisheries management. Many states have adopted decentralization as the way to implement future fisheries management, especially in developing countries, which often involves a partnership between government and the local communities, i.e. a co-management approach. The challenge is to find a way for co-management to become a mainstream practice of both government and non-government organizations and communities.

The 63 participants at the workshop comprised representatives of a selection of APFIC member countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam). Collaborating and partner organizations (AIT, BOBP-IGO, MRC, IUCN, SEAFDEC, WorldFish Center); international NGOs (WWF, ICSF); and national co-management institutions, projects and NGOs (CBCRM, FACT, EU-CHARM, CDC, SUMA) also participated and supported the participation of their representatives.