The Marine Institute and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) renewed their partnership with the signing on Aug. 3 of a new five-year Memorandum of Understanding to explore ways to increase cooperation in Southeast Asia for the promotion of sustainable fisheries development in that region.

Since 1998, the Marine Institute, through its international centre, MI International, has worked closely with SEAFDEC on a number of initiatives aimed at training and research in marine fishing technology, marine engineering, aquaculture, harvesting technology, fisheries resource development and management. This new MOU will extend that partnership to address knowledge sharing and technology transfer in the areas of sustainable aquatic resources, safety at sea for small scale fishers, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) associated with professional development of SEAFDEC staff. Adapting traditional training programs to an e-learning environment is also included in the scope of this MOU.

Leslie O'Reilly, MI's executive director, welcomed the three-member delegation from SEAFDEC's Bangkok office this week to the Marine Institute for discussions on the MOU.

“The partnership between the Marine Institute and SEAFDEC has enabled us to build a positive linkage with many of the member countries in Southeast Asia. The development of training and applied research initiatives has given our faculty and staff opportunities to strengthen the Institute's professional capabilities and share an excellent international education and cultural building exercise.”

“Over the past five years, MI has assisted SEAFDEC meet its goal to effectively contribute to sustainable fisheries management in Southeast Asia,” said Newis Ruangpanit, secretary general of SEAFDEC. “Our staff has benefited significantly from training and employee exchanges with the institute. Over the next five years, we look forward to growing our partnership with MI and expanding our collaborative projects to include other members throughout the region.”

SEAFDEC is an autonomous intergovernmental body established as a regional treaty organization in 1967 with a mandate of promoting sustainable fisheries development in Southeast Asia. It seeks to sustainably develop fishery potentials in the region through training, research and information services in order to improve the food supply by the rational utilization of fisheries resources in the region. At present, SEAFDEC Member Countries are Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei Darussalam with Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia and Lao PDR.