Regional Workshop on Fisheries Tenure and User Rights: Southeast Asia & Bay of Bengal (SEABOB), Bangkok, Thailand, 3-5 September 2019.
Abstract
This workshop is the first of a series of regional workshops on fisheries tenure and user rights. It aims to discover regional nuances and specificities of the SEABOB area to develop how-to guidance on appropriate tenure systems and rights-based approaches for fisheries. Representatives from both government and non-government sectors attended this workshop. Participants at the workshop presented fisheries tenure and user rights of 13 countries, including Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Timor-Leste. Participants were divided into three working groups and in parallel discussed four topics: (1) Recognition and allocation of tenure rights and responsibilities, (2) Transfers and other changes to tenure rights, (3) Administration of tenure, and (4) Responses to climate change and emergencies. Results of the discussions were presented. Participants made recommendations for future work, including awareness raising, capacity development, and formal recognition of rights, coordination among institutions, as well as introduction and improvement of fisheries co-management.