Exchanging Experiences and Examples of Good Practice in the Management of South China Sea Habitats

The Third Mayors’ Roundtable was successfully concluded in Bangkok, Thailand on 27th November 2007. Provincial governors, mayors, and technical managers and staff from 23 demonstration sites and pilot activities met in Bangkok from 26th-27th November 2007 to exchange experiences and examples of good practice at the project’s suite of habitat demonstration sites. An NGO forum was convened in conjunction with the event to explore the involvement of the GEF Small Grants Programme in the implementation of the regional Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea. Click here to access multi-media materials from the event, including videos and presentations.

Improving the Scientific Basis for the Identification of Fisheries Refugia in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand

 

The Regional Training Workshop on Larval Fish Identification and Fish Early Life History Science was convened at the SEAFDEC Training Department from 16th-31st May 2007. This activity was aimed at building regional capacity for the processing and identification of fish egg and larvae samples collected during regular research cruises of M.V. SEAFDEC 2. It is anticipated that this will lead to improvements in the scientific basis for the identification of sites for inclusion in the regional system of fisheries refugia in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand. Please click here to learn more about this training event and to access a complete repository of training materials and other outputs from this course.

Community Education and Public Awareness Raising Materials Online

 

A range of community education and awareness raising materials have been developed in support of initiatives of the UNEP/GEF South China Sea Project to reverse environmental degradation trends in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand. These have included short TV documentaries, posters, billboards, brochures, and promotional videos. Several project demonstration sites have also been featured on National TV News in the participating countries. The South China Sea Multi-Media Centre and Catalogue of Public Awareness Materials have recently been made available on UNEPSCS.org in order to facilitate the sharing of such materials between coastal and marine practitioners at the regional-level. Please follow the links above to stream awareness videos and to view examples of community education materials.

Promoting Regional Cooperation on Marine Environmental Management in the South China Sea

The Sixth Meeting of the Regional Task Force on Legal Matters was convened in Sihanoukville, Cambodia from 25th-27th June 2007. Key items of discussion considered by the group included inter alia: the outcome of national consultations on alternative instruments and mechanisms for marine environmental cooperation in the South China Sea; consideration of the contents of the Strategic Action Programme regarding alternative regional instruments and environmental cooperation; and promotion of information exchange and networking among environmental legal experts in the South China Sea region. Please click here to access the report of the meeting. Please click here for further information regarding the work of the Regional Task Force on Legal Matters.

A community consultation on the identification and mapping of fisheries refugia was conducted at Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam from 8th-11th June 2007. This activity was undertaken as part of the regional initiative to establish a system of fisheries refugia in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand. Vietnamese and Cambodian fishers, representatives of the Phu Quoc and Kampot habitat demonstration sites, staff of National Fisheries and Oceanographic Research Institutes, and representatives of Provincial Fisheries and Environment Departments participated in the consultation. An important outcome of the consultation was a map of critical spawning and nursery areas for economically important fish species in the transboundary waters area of Phu Quoc and Kampot. Please click here to learn more about the fisheries refugia initiative of the South China Sea Project, or follow the link below to read more.

Guiding the Implementation of the South China Sea Project's Coral Reef Habitat Demonstration Sites

 

The 8th Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Coral Reefs was convened on Phu Quoc Island in Viet Nam from 4th-7th June 2007.  The main items of business considered by the group included: the status of finalisation, adoption, and implementation of National Action Plans; the proposed South China Sea Regional Training Course on Management Models and Strategies for Coral Reef and Seagrass Ecosystems and associated National Echo-Seminars; the national and regional economic values of the goods and services of coral reefs in the South China Sea; and the coral reef component of the regional Strategic Action Programme. Click here to access the report of the meeting. Please click here for further information regarding the work of the Regional Working Group on Coral Reefs and the coral reef habitat demonstration sites.