Report of In-house Workshop on Benthic Habitat Mapping on Board M.V. SEAFDEC 2

Abstract

Referring to the recommendations made at the “Expert Meeting on DeepSea Fishing and Its Impact on Ecosystem1” that SEAFDEC is requested to find best practice of the sampling gears for deep‐sea fisheries resources. Over the years, SEAFDEC/TD has explored ways to utilize the deep‐sea fisheries resources in Southeast Asian Region through improvement of so‐called “environmental friendly sampling gears”, including mid‐water trawl, gillnet, and bottom vertical longline. It was also suggested through the series of activities related to deep‐sea fisheries resources exploration in the Southeast Asian Region that technical information/knowledge and experience on bathygraphic mapping (fisheries resources mapping) should be transferred to the Member Countries in order to provide an alternative source of fisheries resources from the deep‐sea waters of the Member Countries with science‐based information, particularly on the vulnerable marine ecosystem of their respective waters. In respond to this, SEAFDEC TD has developed a set of equipment ready to be put into the trial before transferring such knowledge and technology to the Member Countries. Subsequently, SEAFDEC/TD plans to organize “Regional training workshop on benthic habitat mapping” scheduled in the third quarter of 2012, of which the tools2 for resources mapping are needed to be trailed.