National Workshop on Monitoring, Control and Surveillance 7-8 June 2008, Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh

A National Workshop on Monitoring, Control and Surveillance in Marine Fisheries in Bangladesh (NW-MCS) was organized by the Strengthening Institutional Capacity of Department of Fisheries (DoF) Project (ASPS II: DoF-Danida) in coordination with the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MoFL), Government of Bangladesh and the BOBP-IGO. The workshop was held in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh, on 7-8 June 2008.

Fifty-one persons representing 21 national, regional and international fisheries organizations attended the workshop. It discussed the scope for implementing an effective MCS system in Bangladesh -- especially the registration and licensing of fishing vessels, effort optimization, institutional support and capacity-building – and problems in implementation. An Action Plan was prepared and submitted to the Government of Bangladesh for further action.

1st Regional Training Course on Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, 16-27 June 2008, Chennai, Mumbai, India

The first Regional Training Course on Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (RTC-CCRF) was held in Chennai, India, from 16 to 27 June 2008, in association with the Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai, India. The first of its kind targeting middle-level and junior level fisheries officials from the member- countries, the course exposed participants to the CCRF through in-depth theoretical sessions, field visits and interaction. Sixteen persons (four from each member- country) took part in the 10-day course. Participants were awarded certificates on completion of the course. The second RTC-CCRF is scheduled to be held from 21 June to 04 July 2009 in Chennai.

Regional Consultation on Safety at Sea 7-8 July 2008, Chennai, India

The Regional Consultation on Safety at Sea for Small-Scale Fisheries (RC-S@S) was held in Chennai, India on 7-8 July 2008. It reviewed the progress of activities under the South Asian component of the Global Project on safety at sea. The consultation was organised jointly by the FAO, the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Alaska, USA (NIOSH) and the BOBP-IGO. Forty three persons took part: representatives of FAO, SIDA, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), NIOSH, member-countries Bangladesh, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka, representatives of fisheries institutions, NGOs and experts. Discussions centered on the progress of the Safety at Sea Project activities in the region and its global status; integration of safety at sea with fisheries management; draft guidelines on safety of fishing vessels below 24 m overall length (OAL); training needs of fishers; community mobilization; and the status of legislative support to small-scale fisheries management in the four member-countries.