Cooperation Between RFBs and RSOs and Opportunities under BBNJ Regime discussed at Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI) Global Dialogue 

 

The inter-sessional workshop of the Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI) Global Dialogue with Regional Seas Organizations (RSOs) and Regional Fishery Bodies (RFBs) was held from 01 to 03 August 2023. The event, conducted online, brought together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from various regions. The three-day workshop was inaugurated with opening statements from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea, the CBD Secretariat, FAO, and the UNEP.

On the first day of the Workshop, the progress made on the regional roadmaps for cooperation since the third SOI meeting held in Busan in 2022 was discussed from different regions, viz., Western Indian Ocean, North Atlantic, and South & Southeast Asia. Dr. P. Krishnan, Directormade a coordinated presentation on the initiatives taken against the roadmap in South and Southeast Asia. 

On the second day, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UN DOALOS) and Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative (GOBI) provided insights on the recently concluded marine biodiversity conservation beyond national jurisdictions (BBNJ) agreement. The concluding day focused on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the importance of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) in facilitating it. 

The Workshop concluded with a call for its continuation, supplemented by intersessional work and sessions alongside major international events. RSO and RFB Secretariats were urged to act as "ambassadors", underscoring the Dialogue's significance to their Parties/Member States for enhancing regional governance and collaboration.

Special Meeting to Reminisce the Contributions of Late Dr. Y.S. Yadava 

 

The BOBP-IGO organised a hybrid condolence meeting on 12th August 2023, in memory of the late Dr. Yugraj Singh Yadava, wherein fisheries experts across the world paid homage and cherished his contributions.  Members of the Fisheries Technocrats Forum (FTF) attended the meeting in person.

Family members of Dr. Yadava, scientists from ICAR, BFRI, MMRI, and NARA; policy makers from national governments in the region; international fisheries development organizations like FAO; WorldFish; and fisher organizations and professional societies like BSFF, ICSF, MARC and AFS, and his contemporaries from around the world, paid rich tribute to Dr. Yadava and recounted his contribution to the fisheries sector. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. P. Krishnan, Director, BOBP IGO highlighted the illustrious career of Dr. Yadava and assured that the IGO will keep his legacy alive by taking forward the initiatives.

The recording of the event is available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlZo7zxR_X8 

Bay of Bengal Stock Assessment Network (BOB-SAN) Launched

 

The inaugural session of the Bay of Bengal Stock Assessment Network (BOB-SAN) was held on 17th August 2023. The Idea of BOB-SAN originates from the FAO Regional Workshop for a Network of Practitioners on Fishery Stock Assessment held on 23-25 January 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand, where regional participants stressed the importance of a regional platform to promote stock assessment in the BOB Region.

BOB-SAN is a virtual network of national stock assessment practitioners from South Asia, with BOBP-IGO as the nodal point. BOB-SAN is envisaged to serve as a platform for sharing knowledge and good practices in fish stock assessment, discussing advanced methodologies, and advancing the frontiers of stock assessment based on cumulative experiences and collaboration. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. P. Krishnan, Director of BOBP-IGO, underscored the significance of regional collaboration in the context of evolving climate and governance dynamics. He emphasized that addressing the intricate challenges of fish stock assessment in the Bay of Bengal demands collaborative efforts and countries will benefit by sharing their collective insights in the realm of fish stock assessment, particularly concerning shared stocks. 

Dr. Rishi Sharma, Senior Fisheries Resources Officer, FAO, highlighted the critical role of communicating stock assessment findings to policymakers, which facilitates more informed and effective management decisions. He further emphasized that the Bay of Bengal's growing importance amplifies the significance of initiatives like BOB-SAN. 
Representatives from the Governments, and expert nominees from Bangladesh, India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka attended the Inaugural Session. The Country representatives made a comprehensive coordinated presentation highlighting the status of marine fisheries, current approaches of stock assessment, challenges and way forward, and expectations from the BOBSAN. Dr. E. Vivekanandan, Advisor, BOBP, moderated the technical sessions.

The participants opined that the BOBSAN will aid in harnessing its members' collective wisdom and experiences to improve stock assessment methodologies and contribute to coordinated regional fisheries management. The members called for conduct of annual workshops to share knowledge and experiences and form technical working groups under the aegis of BOB-SAN to discuss species-specific issues and hold focused discussions on areas like: 

• Use of standardized unit of fishing effort throughout the region.
• Strengthening catch and effort data collection through the e-logbook mechanism.
• Standardization of the minimum data requirement for stock assessment for transboundary species like Tuna for the region.  

The participants agreed to meet periodically to discuss advances in assessment approaches; and take every step to leverage the BOBSAN for addressing national fisheries management issues.