Safer at sea: The unexpected benefit of traceability for small-scale fishers

Big and small fishing vessels are now installing systems to track where they catch fish and register the data for others in the supply chain to see. These systems are changing the lives of small-scale fishermen in an unexpected way: by enabling them to stay in touch with their families.

USAID Oceans has been supporting this initiative in General Santos, the Philippines by equipping small-scale fishers with traceability technologies and working with local governments to track vessel locations and collect important data to inform fisheries management.

USAID Oceans Hands Over Sustainable Fisheries Management Plans to Indonesia and the Philippines for National Impact and Support to Broader Regional Conservation Initiatives

Just ahead of the close of its fourth programmatic year, USAID Oceans reached a critical milestone with the delivery of Sustainable Fisheries Management Plans to its national fisheries agency partners in the program’s Philippines and Indonesia learning sites.

PRESS RELEASE: USAID Brings Seafood Traceability Solutions to Coral Triangle Region

DILI, Timor-Leste – Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) convened representatives from Coral Triangle member countries in Dili, Timor-Leste, to continue the region’s progress toward fully traceable, sustainable and equitable fisheries.  The Coral Triangle region, comprised of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste, encompass the world’s most biodiverse marine area, which has tremendous influence over global food security, livelihoods and marine conservation.

Celebrating Changemakers of Asia-Pacific’s Oceans: World Oceans Day 2019

Since its launch in 2015, USAID Oceans has witnessed and worked first hand with women in the sector who are paving the way for a more prosperous seafood industry, working to provide for their communities, creating more sustainable fisheries, and closing the gap toward achieving global priorities, like the UNs’ Sustainable Development Goals. This year, to celebrate and recognize World Oceans Day, USAID Oceans would like to share the work and impacts of several program partners who are preserving the future of Southeast Asia’s seas and oceans, and supporting those that depend upon them.

USAID Launches New Fisheries Management Guidance for Gender-Inclusive, Technology-Responsive Research

As the state of the world’s fisheries, and the approaches used to manage them, have changed greatly over the past two decades, so too has the need for fisheries management guidance to evolve. On April 10, 2019, USAID Oceans convened contributing authors at the 12th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum in Iloilo, Philippines, to launch the new guide.

WINFISH Kicks Off Gender Equity Grant in the Philippines, Secures Commitments from Partners

In March, USAID Oceans officially awarded a grant to the National Network on Women in Fisheries in the Philippines, Inc. (WINFISH) to advocate for increased gender equity and promote women’s empowerment in the fisheries sector in General Santos City, Philippines. The grant’s Inception Workshop convened local partners and gathered commitments in support of their work.

Philippines eCDT System Pilot Progresses, Uncovers Key Lessons for USAID Oceans’ Regional Partners

USAID Oceans continues to work closely with BFAR to test and enhance the capabilities of the eCDTS. Over the last year, partners (e.g., BFAR and Industry First Movers, etc.) have been able to begin to assess the impacts of the system and identify a strategy for expanding the system beyond the General Santos City learning site and throughout the Philippines. To date, the system has traced over 25 million metric tons of tuna.

USAID Oceans Announces Selection of Newest Grantees to Leverage eCDT Data for Improved Fisheries Management

In December, USAID Oceans selected two grantees to support its work to leverage eCDT data to improve fisheries management. Two grantees were selected in the program’s Indonesia and the Philippines learning sites, Masyarakat dan Perikanan (MDPI) in Indonesia and Mindanao State University Naawan Foundation for Science and Technology Development, Inc. (MSUNFSTDI) in the Philippines, to undertake data analysis that can be shared with all ASEAN member countries to inform traceability initiatives across the region.

Sub-Regional Fisheries Management Plan Presented, Endorsed at 14th Senior Official Meeting of the Coral Triangle Initiative

This month, USAID Oceans presented the world’s first known sub-regional fisheries management plan at the Coral Triangle Initiative for Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security’s (CTI-CFF) Fourteenth Senior Officials Meeting (SOM-14) in Manila, Philippines.

Understanding Gender Roles in Southeast Asia’s Fisheries Sector: Key Challenges and Recommendations for Gender Equitable Research

As part of USAID Oceans’ critical research phase that informed program approaches and intervention design, gender analyses were conducted in the program’s learning sites that identified key gaps, issues, and recommendations for more equitable fisheries value chains.