Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) officers are conducting a capacity building workshop with Indonesian officials on 11 November in Kupang, Indonesia, as part of the Joint Public Information Campaign between the two countries that began in December 2005 to address illegal fishing in Indonesia.
AFMA will have an interactive presentation relating to Indonesian/Australian maritime boundaries alongside presentations from central and provincial Indonesian officials on sustainable fisheries, coastal community development and the role of the Centre for Extension Services.
The first phase of the campaign allowed Australia and Indonesia to conduct joint fisheries management outreach visits in Indonesia during 2006–2009.
The outreach visits comprised of face-to-face meetings with local fishermen, senior local government officials, elected representatives, influential community figures as well as attendance at conferences, live radio interviews, and television shows.
The second phase of the campaign began in 2009 with Australia and Indonesia commencing capacity building workshops in several provinces throughout Indonesia. These were aimed at fisheries extension workers, provincial and district fisheries staff and community leaders.
The workshop on 11 November is a continuation of this work.
These types of workshops are an integral part of Australia’s strategy to combat illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing, said AFMA.
