EAFM Training Gains Ground

The “Essential EAFM” training course, developed for CTI-CFF, is gaining strong support among fisheries and conservation practitioners, agencies, and institutions across the region.

Originally developed in 2010 for CTI-CFF and piloted in Indonesia and Malaysia in 2012, the course also drew on a development initiative by the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) Project. In its current form, Essential EAFM was first delivered in Sabah, Malaysia in November 2013 and has since been replicated in Malaysia and the Philippines, with additional trainings planned this year in both countries.

In a recent blog post (external link), Ms. Megan Moews-Asher, one of the course contributors, recounted that Sabah EAFM participants, now trainers, led last month’s Essential EAFM training with the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC).

Held on January 20–30 in Thailand, the training was attended by 29 trainers, mostly from Indonesia and the Philippines. Scientists from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center’s Coral Reef Ecosystem Division, along with partners from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), BOBLME, NOAA Sea Grant, and IMA International, were also in attendance.

Ms. Moews-Asher reported that officials from the Philippines and Indonesia have requested NOAA’s assistance in customizing the course for delivery in their respective countries. Discussions are also underway among NOAA, USAID, FAO, BOBLME, and SEAFDEC to potentially institutionalize the course through SEAFDEC.

The course provides foundational knowledge on the EAFM process and how it can support decision-making for responsible and sustainable fisheries. It is designed for personnel, including staff of economic development and planning agencies, who manage fisheries and marine environments at provincial, state, or local levels. The core objective is to equip participants with professional planning skills for effective and equitable fisheries management, addressing a regional capacity development need identified through intergovernmental and regional fisheries processes in the Asia-Pacific region.

“We watched the EAFM seeds planted with SEAFDEC bloom last month, and we are seeing other seeds continue to grow in the Coral Triangle region as a result of previous courses and technical assistance,” said Ms. Moews-Asher.

The course was developed with support from three regional organizations: USAID through the US CTI Support Program (USCTI) implemented by NOAA and the Coral Triangle Support Partnership (CTSP); the eight-country BOBLME Project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), NORAD, SIDA, and FAO; and the 21-country Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC).

To view Ms. Moews-Asher’s blog post, click here (external link).

To download the “Essential EAFM Handbook,” click here.