Report of The Private Sector Round Table Meeting ,30 April 2012 Jasmine Executive Suites Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

The Private Sector Roundtable meeting was hosted jointly by SEAFDEC, FAO, IFFO and SPF. It was organized in conjunction with the REBYC‐II CTI project inception workshop in order to provide inputs into the project planning process with regard to private sector collaboration. More specifically, the objectives of the meeting were to discuss how the industry can engage in the project (at the local, national and regional levels), what the needs of the private sector are, what a successful project would look like and where to go from here. The meeting was opened by Dr Chumnarn Pongsri, Secretary‐General of SEAFDEC, who stressed the importance of the REBYC‐II CTI project and its great interest to the private sector. Mr Petri Suuronen (FAO) gave an overview of the project, its objectives and expected outcomes. He explained that the project explores strategies and measures in trawl fisheries management for ensuring that the benefits are enhanced whilst the risks are reduced. The overarching goal of the project is the sustainable use of fisheries resources and healthier marine ecosystems in the project region. The 6 main outcomes expected to be delivered by the project include: • Agreed trawl management plans for the pilot areas • Improved measures and techniques to reduce problematic bycatch • Better use of residual bycatch • Critical barriers for executing responsible fishing by private sector addressed • Effective incentives identified for trawl operators • Institutional arrangements and processes for public and private sector partnership. The project is funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the governments of Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, SEAFDEC, FAO and by various other stakeholders. The project will be run in 2012‐2015 in Southeast Asia. SEAFDEC is the Regional Project Facilitator Unit and FAO is the GEF agency for the project.