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Fishing gear marking has been recognized since the 1990s as a crucial tool for sustainable fisheries management. It plays an important role in preventing and reducing abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), which contributes to marine pollution and ghost fishing. It also enhances maritime safety and supports in the identification of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. The FAO Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear (VGMFG) offer practical guidance on the objectives, principles, and implementation of fishing gear marking systems.

The BOBLME Phase II project, funded by GEF - International Waters and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), is jointly implemented by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAORAP), the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) and the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBPIGO) and aims to tackle urgent challenges and promote sustainability in seven countries – Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

In the framework of the BOBLME Phase II project, a two-day Virtual Meeting via Zoom was organized by the Research and Development Division of the SEAFDEC Training Department, from 21 to 22 October 2025, aiming at strengthening technical capacity and generating practical outputs to guide future gear marking initiatives.

The main objectives of the workshop were to:

• Share knowledge and experiences related to lost fishing gear and fishing gear marking.
• Provide information and guidance on methods for marking fishing gear.
• Provide information and guidance on preventing and managing lost fishing gear.

Participants in the meeting included representatives from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, as well as other SEAFDEC countries, and the organizations Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI), Aerial Recon & Recovery Initiative (ARRI) and IndigoWaters Institute, Taiwan. During the meeting, an introduction to international, regional, and national policies and frameworks on fishing gear marking was provided and participants presented results from research and trials conducted on fishing gear marking, followed by interactive discussions. FAO shared background and updates on the VGMFG, as well as its two supplementary information documents, Supp. 1 A framework for conducting a risk assessment for a system on the marking of fishing gear and Supp. 2 Manual for the marking of fishing gear.

The fruitful discussion among SEAFDEC Member Countries and webinar participants identified needs for the implementation of fishing gear marking systems.