Marine debris is one of the important global challenges that require cooperative responses. The severity of the marine debris issue is particularly acute in the Southeast Asian region and requires a need for efforts to obtain an understanding on the impacts of marine debris and develop necessary management and preventive approaches to mitigate its impediments to sustainable economic growth in the ASEAN through innovation, research and development of technologies toward conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity and natural resources. The ASEAN Member States during the 34^th ASEAN. Summit held in Thailand 22 June 2019 adopted the “Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Region,” and encouraged the implementation of the “ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris.”

In line with these two regional policy frameworks, the project proposal has been developed by SEAFDEC and firstly reported to the 43rd SEAFDEC Program Committee Meeting since 2020. The project aims at enhancing the regional collaborative research and capacity building of the fisheries sector in Southeast Asia by applying scientific knowledge in regional policies for monitoring and reducing marine debris. Four (4) priority areas of the “ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris” has been applied to design the project outputs, i.e. 1) Policy Support and Planning; 2) Research, Innovation and Capacity Building; 3) Public Awareness, Education and Outreach; and 4) Private Sector Engagement implemented by three (3) SEAFDEC Departments and Secretariat. In addition, the project also reinforces the contribution of the fisheries sector in combating marine debris in Southeast Asia by reducing its negative impacts and encouraging positive actions in cooperation with fishers, private sectors and other relevant sectors of the ASEAN Member States. Three (3) SEAFDEC Departments, i.e. SEAFDEC/IFRDMD, SEAFDEC/MFRDMD, and SEAFDEC/TD, together with SEAFDEC Secretariat will implement activities of the 2-years project. Project commencement date is 14 April 2022. However, the uncertainty situation of COVID-19, during the year 2020-2022, made the technical implementation in the year 2022-2023 postponed. During the postponed period, SEAFDEC and JAIF under supervision by ASEAN Secretariat has being revised the work plans and budget plans without additional cost, and agreed project schedule revision is from January 2024 to December 2025.

Marine debris is one of the important global challenges that require cooperative responses. The severity of the marine debris issue is particularly acute in the Southeast Asian region and requires a need for efforts to obtain an understanding of the impacts of marine debris and develop necessary management and preventive approaches to mitigate its impediments to sustainable economic growth in the ASEAN through innovation, research, and development of technologies toward conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity and natural resources.

Marine debris is a transboundary issue that requires integrated regional cooperation, and strong collaboration among sectors is crucial, particularly in the ASEAN region. Without immediate action, marine debris pollution may negatively impact marine biodiversity, the productivity of fishery resources, health, society, and the economies of the region. In the fisheries sector, Abandoned, Lost, or otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) has recently drawn attention as one of the significant sources of marine debris; and the reduction of the impacts from ALDFG is a key and distinct part of the global marine debris issue. On the other hand, the fisheries sector is also known to play an important role in addressing the issue of marine debris, e.g. in monitoring the situations not only of the fishery resources but also on the marine debris through fishing activities by fishers, fishery resources research activities, and fishery management activities. Therefore, the contribution from the fisheries sector by encouraging positive actions and reducing negative impacts in close cooperation among the fisheries sector and other sectors, both public and private, of ASEAN Member States is envisaged as necessary
in combating marine debris in Southeast Asia.

The ASEAN Member States during the 34^th ASEAN Summit held in Thailand on 22 June 2019 adopted the “Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Region,” and encouraged the implementation of the “ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris.” In line with these two regional policy frameworks, this project is aimed at enhancing the regional collaborative research and capacity building of the fisheries sector in Southeast Asia by applying scientific knowledge in regional policies for monitoring and reducing marine debris. It also reinforces the contribution of the fisheries sector in combating

Under this project, direct/immediate beneficiaries are staff of government agencies concerned in AMSs who will attend the training courses. Indirect beneficiaries are the AMSs and the other countries as well as fishers, other stakeholders and the consumers in general who will be benefited from the improved management of fisheries resources.

2.1 Current Problem
The ASEAN Member States adopted the “Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Region” during the ASEAN Summit held in Thailand in June 2019, and encouraged the implementation of the “ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris,” comprising 4 priority areas, namely:

1. Policy Support and Planning;
2. Research, Innovation and Capacity Building;
3. Public Awareness, Education and Outreach; and
4. Private Sector Engagement.

It is also well noted that marine debris is a transboundary issue that requires integrated regional cooperation, and strong collaboration among sectors is crucial, particularly in the ASEAN region. In addition, at the 21^st ASEAN Plus Three Summit Meeting on 15 November 2019, the “ASEAN Plus Three Marine Plastic Debris Cooperation Action Initiative” proposed by Japan was endorsed by the ASEAN Member States along with the Declaration and Framework of Action.

From the fisheries viewpoint, the important and urgent issues on marine debris that are a common concern at the regional level include:

1. The extent of marine debris caused by ALDFG in Southeast Asia is unclear, and it is necessary to investigate the situation of ALDFG and develop effective countermeasures to reduce marine debris from fisheries in the region;
2. Some marine debris that could be collected as bycatch from fishing activities are discarded back into the sea and becoming sources of microplastic in the future;
3. Only a limited number of officers and researchers know effective and reliable research methods on marine debris and microplastics, and training on the subject is necessary;
4. The risk from contamination and characteristics of microplastics in freshwater and marine fish for securing food safety is not still clear; and
5. Need to enhance mutually beneficial collaboration among sectors and regional organizations relevant to fisheries, natural resources, environment and marine affairs to share updated knowledge on marine debris at the regional level.

2.2 Regionality
The past years saw several miserable events related to marine pollution in Southeast Asia. First, in June 2018, a pilot whale died in Thailand and some 80 pieces of plastic rubbish weighing 8 kg were found in its stomach. Subsequently, in November, a dead sperm whale found in the waters around Wakatobi, Indonesia was reported to have ingested almost 6 kg of plastic waste. Again, in March 2019, a dead whale was found in the Philippine waters with the same condition. Those are only some of the devastating examples of the impact of marine litter on marine resources. While four of its Member States are among the biggest polluters of the oceans: Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand; ASEAN has been working to solve the issue. The recent 34^th ASEAN Summit, held in Thailand in June 2019 issued two important documents related to the protection of the marine environment and combating marine debris. These are the “Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Region” and the “ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris.” These two regional policy frameworks reaffirm ASEAN’s commitment to strategic measures to respond to and deal with the risk of pollution and threats to the coastal and marine ecosystem. It is therefore an important moment for ASEAN as a whole to undertake efforts that
contribute to the implementation of these regional frameworks on marine debris.

2.3 Project History
This is a new project conceptualized from the fisheries sector based on the “Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Region,” which includes:

1. strengthening actions at the national level as well as through collaborative actions among the ASEAN Member States and partners to prevent and significantly reduce marine debris;
2. enhancing the multi-stakeholder coordination and cooperation to combat marine debris,

The project involves men and women with neutral and equalized opportunities. Women and men would equally benefit from the project.

4.1 Logical Framework 

Regional collaborativecresearch and capacity building in the fisheries sector, including application of scientific knowledge in regional policies and monitoring based on four priority areas of the “ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris” for combating marine debris in Southeast Asia

Policy Support and Planning
1-1. A technical guideline outlining the status of ALDFG in
ASEAN and measures to prevent and remove ALDFG

Activity 1.1: 
Information gathering on ALDFG Situations to support policy planning and development

1. Information gathering to estimate the amount of ALDFG atpilot sites. (12 pilot sites along the coastal waters in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea) (SEAFDEC/TD)
2. Monitoring on the ALDFG at accumulated pilot sites and development of removal guidance of the ALDFG (18 pilot sites at coastal waters along the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia) (SEAFDEC/MFRDMD)
   

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Activity 1.2:
Information exchange on ALDFG situation and countermeasures in AMSs

1. Workshop for information exchange and the development of technical guidance on ALDFG countermeasures (in
   Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 2 days) (SEAFDEC/MFRDMD)
   

Research, Innovation and Capacity Building
2-1. Risk assessments outlining the status of microplastic in aquatic environments.

2-2. Enhancement of AMS‘s capacity on methods to collect and analyze marine debris and microplastics

Activity 2.1: Environment research survey to evaluate microplastics and other marine environment situations related to fisheries resources at sea (SEAFDEC/TD)

Activity 2.2: Research and evaluation on amount of marine debris collected by fishing activities (SEAFDEC/MFRDMD)

Activity 2.3: Research study on the impact from contaminants of microplastics in freshwater fish and marine fish. (SEAFDEC/IFRDMD and TD)

Activity 2.4: Training on the liable research methods to collect and analyse the marine debris and microplastics.
(SEAFDEC/TD)

Public Awareness, Education and Outreach
3-1 Marine debris management are strengthened and promoted in AMSs

3-2 Updated scientific- based knowledge and technical guidance are shared and enhanced among relevant sectors.

Activity 3.1: Regional Symposium on Marine Debris and Microplastics in Fisheries in Southeast Asia” (SEAFDEC/TD)

Activity 3.2: Information distribution and development of website on Marine Debris. (SEAFDEC/TD)

Private Sector Engagement
4-1. Marking of fishing gears is promoted.

Activity 4.1: Development of methods on marking of fishing gears and promotion on marking of fishing gears
1. Pilot activities/study/research on marking of fishing gears
2. Technical meeting to develop the Technical manual for marking of fishing gears