Regional Collaborative Research and Capacity Building for Monitoring and Reduction of Marine Debris from Fisheries in Southeast Asia

Marine debris is one of the important global challenges that require cooperative responses. The severity of the marine debris issue is particularly acute in the Southeast Asian region and requires a need for efforts to obtain an understanding of the impacts of marine debris and develop necessary management and preventive approaches to mitigate its impediments to sustainable economic growth in the ASEAN through innovation, research, and development of technologies toward conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity and natural resources.

Marine debris is a transboundary issue that requires integrated regional cooperation, and strong collaboration among sectors is crucial, particularly in the ASEAN region. Without immediate action, marine debris pollution may negatively impact marine biodiversity, the productivity of fishery resources, health, society, and the economies of the region. In the fisheries sector, Abandoned, Lost, or otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) has recently drawn attention as one of the significant sources of marine debris; and the reduction of the impacts from ALDFG is a key and distinct part of the global marine debris issue. On the other hand, the fisheries sector is also known to play an important role in addressing the issue of marine debris, e.g. in monitoring the situations not only of the fishery resources but also on the marine debris through fishing activities by fishers, fishery resources research activities, and fishery management activities. Therefore, the contribution from the fisheries sector by encouraging positive actions and reducing negative impacts in close cooperation among the fisheries sector and other sectors, both public and private, of ASEAN Member States is envisaged as necessary in combating marine debris in Southeast Asia.

Regional collaborative research and capacity building in the fisheries sector, including application of scientific knowledge in regional policies and monitoring based on four priority areas of the “ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris” for combating marine debris in Southeast Asia