Press Release: Learning exchange focuses on fisheries and seafood traceability system in the Coral Triangle (CT) Region

Date:

08 June 2018

Uploaded By:

Medy Kesuma Putra

# The CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat and the USAID Oceans are conducting a learning exchange focusing on the application of catch, documentation and traceability (CDT) system for fisheries and seafood products.
# CDT is the practice of documenting key information of a fisheries product from the point of catch to final destination – market – including the supply-chain.
# In the Learning Exchange, participants will gain insights on the implementation of the USAID Oceans CDT schemes at one of their sites located in Manado-Bitung, Indonesia. They will know more about how CDT systems can be properly developed, implemented, and integrated into their local fisheries development plan.

Manado, Indonesia 8 June 2018 – lllegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a threat to the fish stocks, marine ecosystems and overall fisheries sustainability in the Coral Triangle Region. Insufficient fisheries management and a lack of transparency in the seafood supply chain bring about such threat.

Cognizant of these critical issues, the Regional Secretariat of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) partners with the USAID Oceans to conduct a learning exchange among marine and fisheries specialists from CT member countries. They will focus on the application of catch documentation and traceability (CDT) system for fisheries and seafood products. The activity will be held from 25-28 June 2018 in Manado and Bitung, Indonesia.

CDT is the practice of documenting key information about the harvest, processing, and transportation of a fisheries product from the point of catch to final destination – market – including the supply-chain. It serves as a market-based monitoring, control and surveillance tool in combating IUU fishing. USAID Oceans has been using CDT to electronically document and trace wild-caught seafood products in an effort to combat IUU fishing, improve fisheries management and protect individuals in the fisheries sectors from human welfare abuses.

The group from the Sustainable Ecosystems Advanced Project will have an “Ocean Story” Photo Story Contest that invites marine and photography enthusiasts to send their best ocean and coastal images with a short story (80-15 words) as a way to celebrate the beauty of ocean and the importance of protecting it and its abundant resources.

In the Learning Exchange, participants will gain insights on the implementation of the USAID Oceans CDT schemes at one of their sites located in Manado-Bitung, Indonesia. They will learn more about how CDT systems can be properly developed, implemented and integrated into their local fisheries development plan. This Learning Exchange is a modality to move forward towards the next SOACAP Workshop on CDT Design and Development.

The Learning Exchange is part of the many activities identified in the Strengthening Organizational and Administrative Capacity for Improved Fisheries Management (SOACAP IFM) partnership program between the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat and USAID. The SOACAP-IFM) is funded by USAID RDMA and DOI, and together with NOAA, the USAID Oceans and Fisheries Partnerships (USAID Oceans) and SEAFDEC projects work towards strengthening regional cooperation to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing , promote sustainable fisheries, and conserve marine biodiversity in the Coral Triangle region.

-end-

About CTI-CFF

The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI -CFF) is a multilateral partnership of six countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste (CT6). The CT6 countries work together to preserve marine and coastal resources, and focus on critical key issues such as food security, climate change, and marine biodiversity. The CTI-CFF was established formally during the Leaders’ Summit in 2009 with approval of the leaders from the CT6 countries. They adopted the CTI Regional Plan of Action (CTI RPOA) which is a strategic action plan with five goals: (1) designation of effectively managed seascapes; (2) application of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management; (3) establishment of a fully functional marine protected area system; (4) strengthening climate change adaption and resilience; and (5) improving the status of threatened marine species.

About Regional Secretariat

The Regional Secretariat (RS) of the CTI-CFF is mandated to promote regional cooperation, knowledge sharing, and learning facilities within the six member countries of the Coral Triangle. The RS coordinates and monitors the progress of the implementation of the Regional Plan of Action (RPOA) goals. The RS coordinates and supports official meetings and events linked to the CTI-CFF process, including cross-cutting services in support of monitoring and evaluation, financial coordination, information management and outreach. It also coordinates the implementation of CTI-CFF RPOA and provides support to, and coordination with, NCCs, including advising the CTI-CSO on emerging opportunities and priorities to reaching the goals and targets of the RPOA. The RS also acts as the channel of communication and information sharing and foster networking among the Parties, CTI Partners and other organizations and donors in the efforts to promote the objectives of the CTI-CFF. The Regional Secretariat is currently based in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

###