In support of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reef, Fisheries and Food Security’s goal to reduce destructive fishing practices,  fishermen and commercial fish traders from Sabah, Malaysia and Palawan, Philippines attended a roundtable discussion on April 6-13, 2012 in Puerto Princesa to collaborate on live reef fish trade management and increase trans-boundary cooperation to reduce destructive fishing practices. Live reef fish trade involves the capture of reef fish which are kept alive for sale and consumption and often employs destructive fishing practices that can have catastrophic results including fish stock collapse and coral reef destruction. At the end of the roundtable, the participants agreed to adopt a common standard of live reef fish trade and propose legislation to their respective local governments that will regulate and ensure its sustainability. USAID’s Coral Triangle Support Partnership (CTSP) organized the roundtable in collaboration with WWF, the Department of Fisheries Sabah, Sabah Parks, and the Palawan Council on Sustainable Development. CTSP will continue to work with the fishermen and fish traders to realize their action plans.

Caption: Malaysian and Philippine fishermen learn about LRFT sustainable practices
Credit: Jun Lao/CTSP