BOBP-IGO organised a webinar on 23 March 2026 on “Understanding Global Experiences in Regional Cooperation to Curb IUU Fishing” under the BOBLME Project. The broad objective of the Workshop was to learn from the peers how different regions have operationalised regional cooperation mechanisms to address IUUfishing, and to identify transferable lessons for the implementation of the Bay of Bengal Regional Plan of Action on IUU Fishing (BOB RPOA-IUU).

 

Dr. P. Krishnan, Director, BOBP-IGO, presented the implementation framework for the BOB RPOA-IUU, including the 20 actions organised across five thematic workstreams, the phased implementation approach for 2026–2030, and linkages with the BOBLME-II Project.

 

Dr. Rishi Sharma, Senior Fishery Officer, FAO, Rome, presented an overview of IUU fishing issues in the region, including vessel documentation gaps, catch misreporting, transboundary fishing issues, and the importance of integrating vessel, licensing, inspection, and catch databases.

 

Regional experiences were presented by Ms. Sanya Compton (WECAFC/CRFM), Mr. Kongpathai Saraphaivanich (SEAFDEC), Mr. Ahmed Siliman (GFCM), Dr. Stanley Ndara (SADC MCS Coordination Centre), and Mr. Jon Lansley (Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission), highlighting different models of regional cooperation including vessel records, catch documentation schemes, compliance frameworks, joint surveillance operations, and coordination centre models.

 

Ms. Alicia Mosteiro Cabanela, Technical Officer, Port State Measures Agreement Secretariat, FAO, and Ms. Angela Lentisco, Senior Fishery Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, delivered special addresses on port State measures implementation, small-scale fisheries monitoring, and the BOBLME-II project framework respectively.

 

The webinar concluded with a panel on practical implementation issues, including vessel registries, information sharing, intelligence networks, and baseline indicators for measuring progress.

The outcomes of the webinar will inform the BOBLME Sub-Regional Consultation and BOBP-IGOs Technical Advisory Committee Meeting in April 2026 and the XIV Governing Council Meeting in May 2026.