Who We Are

The Regional Plan of Action (RPOA) to Promote Responsible Fishing Practices including Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing in the Region was endorsed by Ministers responsible for fisheries in Bali, Indonesia, May 2007. Eleven countries i.e: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam And four regional fisheries organisations provide technical advice and assistance, i.e:FAO/Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC), Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC), InfoFish and Worldfish Center. The objectives of RPOA are to enhance and strengthen the overall level of fisheries management in the region, in order to sustain fisheries resources and the marine environment, also to optimize the benefit of adopting responsible fishing practices. The actions cover conservation of fisheries resources and their environment, managing fishing capacity, and combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the areas of Sub-Regional Southern and Eastern of South China Sea and Sulu-Sulawesi Seas (SESCS SSS), Sub-Regional Gulf of Thailand, and Sub-Regional Arafura-Timor Seas.