CTI-CFF EAFM Working Group Meeting and Sulu Sulawesi Seascape Regional Exchange

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admin
13 Jul 2023

CTI-CFF EAFM Working Group Meeting and Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape Regional Exchange was held at Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, from 13 to 16 June 2023, fully supported by USAID SuFIA TS.

The EAFM Working Group (WG) meeting focused on finalizing the draft Sustainable Coastal Fisheries and Poverty Reduction Initiative (COASTFISH) Regional Framework. Meanwhile, the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape Regional Exchange (SSS REX), part of the USAID Sustainable Fish Asia Technical Support (SuFIA TS) Activity, provided technical assistance to CTI-CFF in updating its Sub-regional Plan for Managing Transboundary Fisheries in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape (SSS), also known as the SSS EAFM Plan.

The objectives of these events were to:

Support CTI-CFF in reviewing, updating, and revising the COASTFISH Regional Framework;
Facilitate CTI-CFF during its EAFM WG meeting;
Assist CTI-CFF in reviewing and updating the SSS EAFM Plan; and
Strengthen the capacities of CTI-CFF members in integrating climate change adaptation (CCA) and resilience measures, as well as gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), into both the COASTFISH Regional Framework and the SSS EAFM Plan.

The EAFM WG Meeting and SSS REX were attended by 45 representatives from the six Coral Triangle (CT6) countries, the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat, and strategic partners, both in-person and virtually.

The event was formally opened by AD Isidro M. Velayo, Jr., Assistant Director for Technical Services, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Philippines.

Day 1: Capacity Building Sessions and COASTFISH Review (June 13, 2023)

Participants discussed climate change adaptation (CCA) and its relevance to COASTFISH, facilitated by Ms. Margot Stiles and Mr. Robert Pomeroy. Mr. Christover Rontinsulu, Deputy Executive Director – Program Service of CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat, provided a brief update and introduction to COASTFISH.

Gender, Equity, and Social Inclusion (GESI) and its relevance to COASTFISH were led by Ms. Arlene Satapornvanit. Countries were encouraged to strengthen the collection of gender-disaggregated data in fisheries.

The day concluded with the COASTFISH Workshop: Revisiting and Updating the COASTFISH Initiative Regional Framework, covering:

Overview of COASTFISH and Regional Framework
Vision, rationale, purpose, and guiding principles
Regional roadmap: objectives and activities
CCA and GESI integration considerations
National strategies for COASTFISH Initiative
Integration of CCA and GESI into national strategies
Next steps

Participants emphasized aligning COASTFISH with RPOA 2.0, addressing poverty in coastal communities, and integrating sub-regional plans with strategic regional programs. CT6 countries were urged to propose relevant management actions for sub-regional plans.

Day 2: Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape Regional Exchange (June 14, 2023)

The session opened with an overview of the Sub-Regional Plan for Managing Transboundary Fisheries in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape, facilitated by Mr. Robert Pomeroy. Topics included:

Overview of the plan development process
Scaling the plan
Implementation considerations
Contents of the plan
Major threats and issues
Sub-regional goals

Country updates were provided by Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. WWF shared updates on the Tuna+ Program as a nature-based solution for EAFM. Day 2 concluded with participants compiling suggested updates from the SSS REX.

Day 3: EAFM Working Group Meeting (June 15, 2023)

Dr. Norasma Dacho from Malaysia, Chair of the EAFM Working Group, led the meeting. The CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat provided updates on SOM-17 decisions and facilitated discussion on the 2023 Workplan, with RPOA 2.0 matters highlighted.