Correct identification is required in various aspects of fish biodiversity, fishery research and management. Integrating information on biodiversity with fisheries information is an essential component of Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF), an important tool to provide support to capacity development of fishery research and management in the region.

FAO, through the EAF-Nansen Programme, has been supporting regional and country specific efforts to reduce poverty, improve food security and achieve sustainable fisheries management systems. The programme is executed by FAO in close collaboration with the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). Capacity development in fisheries, marine environmental research and fisheries management is an integral part of this Programme.

Taxonomy courses are an innovative component of the EAF-Nansen Programme, aimed at strengthening the knowledge base on marine resources and biodiversity in developing countries. Within this framework, the taxonomy courses are organized recognizing that correct species identification is essential for fishery and environmental research and management.

In this regard, a regional training course on basic taxonomy and identification of marine fish and macroinvertebrates was held at the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Yangon, Myanmar on 15-26 July. The course was provided to twenty-three participants from Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka, who for scientists, technicians and fishery data collectors from the Bay of Bengal countries that have an interest in fish and macroinvertebrate biology and taxonomy.

The course was comprised of theory lectures and laboratory work. During the practical sessions, participants were trained to use an established species identification process based on successive identification steps and also to properly use identification tools developed by FAO. A session dedicated to field sampling techniques, including labelling, fixing, packing, photography and tissue collection for molecular analysis was carried out as well. At the closing ceremony of the training, certificates of completion were awarded by U Khin Maung Maw, Director General of DoF, Ms Tone Tinnes, Norwegian Ambassador to Myanmar, and Ms Xiaojie Fan, FAO Representative to Myanmar.