PRIMEX President and CEO Ms. Elvira C. Ablaza presented the issues and lessons from implementing Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) projects in the Coral Triangle during the Southeast Asia Fisheries Management Planning Workshop which was held on 23-25 August 2017 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center in collaboration with the Oceans and Fisheries Partnership (USAIDOceans) invited Ms. Ablaza as one of the speakers to the workshop which gathered about 100 participants.
Ablaza based her presentation on the outcomes of the EAFM projects supported by the ADB-funded Coastal and Marine Resources Management in the Coral Triangle-Southeast Asia where she serves as the Project Director. The five-year regional technical assistance project has been working with local, national, and regional partners to apply the EAFM approach in Kwandang Bay in Indonesia, Semporna in Sabah, and Dumanquillas Bay in the Philippines since 2012.
She identified the fisheries management issues and problems in each site as well as the lessons learned and opportunities. Mr. Raul Roldan, Deputy Director for the Philippine Project Management Unit of RETA 7813 also attended the event.
SEAFDEC plans to summarize the experiences and lessons of fisheries management implementation in the Southeast Asian region and prepare a regional technical publication.
In photo: Ms. Elvira C. Ablaza (3rd from right) and Mr. Raul G. Roldan (2nd from right) shared challenges and lessons in implementing EAFM projects in the Coral Triangle during the regional workshop in Bangkok. (Photo courtesy of Len Garces)