Food Sovereignty for small scale fishers Southeast Asia Fish for Justice Network (SEAFish). SEAFish was  established in August 2003 in a regional conference in Manila when fourteen (14) NGOs decided to combine forces to develop an international lobby, advocacy, and campaigning platform on fisheries and it development issues in the region. The network operates on the basis of a commonly defined Pool of Consensus, which describes a series of opinions, statements, and advocacy calls that any member of the network can make on behalf of the total membership. Also present at that time were Oxfams working in East Asia, who indicated their support to the Pool of Consensus.

From this platform, SEAFish  developed its capacity and expertise to provide added value to the various programs of the members at country level over the last  years. In delving into the international dimension of fisheries development issues, the network  emerged as an institutional spokesperson in international processes affecting fisheries development such as those involving ASEAN, SEAFDEC, WTO and ADB. The combination of members in SEAFish has developed  the expertise to become the acknowledged and respected advocate of small-scale fishery andpoverty issues that these international institutions need to hear.

Since the establishment of SEAFish, the vision is envisions a just and prosperous  global community  for  empowered coastal communities,  respecting indigenous  management systems, enjoying the  management  of  coastal and  fisheries resources.

To  pursue this  vision, SEAFish  will serve  as  the  voice of  artisanal  fishers in Southeast Asia and facilitate  opportunities  to  empower them, and uplift  their  quality of  life  through the  equitable, sustainable and  just  use  of  coastal and  marine  resources. SEAFISH  shall have contributed to the creation of  conducive environment  through  policy and practices  sensitive to: the rights of fishers to resources,  transboundary and use conflicts in coastal and marine areas,  gender fairness,  adaptation to climate change.

 SEAFish has fourteen (14) members from five (5) countries from within and outside the region namely: from Cambodia - FACT; from Indonesia - KIARA, Telapak, WALHI, KNTI and P3UW; from Malaysia # Sahabat Alam Malaysia; from the Philippines - CASCO, CERD, ELAC, KM, LAFCCOD, PROCESS and Tambuyog; from Vietnam - MCD; and from Mynmar # Ever Green.

The General Assembly (GA) is the highest governing body of SEAFish. It is composed of representatives from member organizations and has been conducted on an annual basis for the past three years. The GA is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the network and reviewing plans and programs.

he Program Coordinator (PC) are chosen on a per issues basis by selected members. Thus a PC gets his/her mandate from and is accountable to the members. A PC is responsible for overseeing the programs and issues development in the region, developing and promoting broad unities among members, ensuring that members benefit from SEAFish andfacilitate discussions in the region, and he/she is empowered to call for special meetings in the region based on availability of funds and time and approve/disapprove project proposals submitted to SEAFish in conference with other PCs and members.

The Regional Coordinator is responsible for implementing the programs of SEAFish, overseeing the day to day operations of the Secretariat, adopting and implementing the systems and discipline of the network, and managing the finances of the network including the drafting of budgets and checking the financial viability of the network in coordination with the Program Coordinator. He/she is tasked with calling for the GA and special meeting, is responsible for directly representing the OCs, reports to the PCs during meetings and provides updates to them upon request. The Regional Coordinator is appointed or elected by the PCs members and is accountable to them and hasa two-year tenure. He/she cannot be a PC while performing his/her tasks as Regional Coordinator.

The Secretariat is tasked with making regular updates, and providing news and relevant information to the PC and the members, providing assistance to members in accordance with the strategies and programs of the network, maintaining the list-serves and sharing information to allies and other networks, addressing information requests regarding SEAFish matters, doing regular outreach job to members and specific groups upon direction of PC, and ensuring that the annual financial reports are regularly disseminated to the members upon the approval of the PC. It is also tasked with preparing for meetings and should be part of all SEAFish meetings for documentation purposes.

The Secretariatgets its mandate comes and is accountable to the PCs and members. However, it is not member of the Program Coordinators. The Head of Secretariat is empowered to hire and fire Secretariat staff based on the review and approval of the PCs.


After the VI General Assembly of SEAFish in Yangoon, Myanmar, facilitated by Ever Green as a member host, a new regional coordinator are chosen by the members for 3 years: 2014-2018, that is KIARA (The People#s Coalition for Fisheries Justice). There#s no budget for this new period. Some source of funds which targeted by the Regional Secretariat are Oxfam, ASEAN Foundation and several organizations.

As a partner ofOxfam, SEAFish has a good and long collaboration in terms of influencing ASEAN secretariat to absorb the rights of small holders infisheries management in the region, both capture and aquaculture.