Aqaba: The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) has partnered with the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) to hold a workshop focused on the draft National Action Plan aimed at combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Jordan.
According to Jordan News Agency, the workshop, conducted over two days at the Aqaba Marine Reserve, gathered 30 representatives from government bodies, regulatory agencies, the private sector, fishers’ associations, and civil-society organizations. Nasser Zawaideh, Director of the Aqaba Marine Reserve, highlighted that the event is part of ongoing cooperation between ASEZA and PERSGA under the Sustainable Fishery Development in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (SFISH) Program. Zawaideh emphasized ASEZA’s commitment to engaging all relevant stakeholders in drafting the National Action Plan, focusing on feedback to refine and implement the plan.
Bashar Bataineh, a representative from PERSGA, commended the collaboration with ASEZA and the Aqaba Marine Reserve, acknowledging their continuous efforts to protect marine and coastal resources. He stated that the workshop’s goal was to review Jordan’s National Action Plan, which is one of seven national plans built from a regional framework to combat IUU fishing. Bataineh underscored the importance of the plan’s measures at the national level and the necessity for enhanced cooperation among member states for regional implementation.
The workshop sessions addressed the draft plan, a review of Jordan’s fisheries regulations, and discussions on national needs and priorities. These included training, capacity-building, development of executive regulations, and proposed implementation procedures. Participants also evaluated the estimated budget required for the plan’s successful execution.