Collab 2: Mainstreaming and Social Inclusion in Fishery and Marine Sector in the Arafura and Timor Seas Region
PUBLICATION DATE:
Wednesday, February 02, 2022
PUBLICATION TYPE:
Meeting Documents
STATUS:
Only Available Online
DESCRIPTION:
The Arafura-Timor Seas Ecosystem Action Program Phase 2 (ATSEA-2) Live Webinar of Mainstreaming Gender and Social Inclusion in Fishery and Marine Sector in the Arafura and Timor Seas Region was conducted via live YouTube on 10 June 2021.
Ms. Thea Arcella Bohol, ATSEA GESI Specialist, welcomed participants to the workshop on behalf of the ATSEA-2 project. Ms. Bohol informed that speakers and panelists of this webinar come from various areas of expertise, including government officials, civil society, the private sector, and research institutes. One hundred and fifty-four participants from different countries, including Indonesia, Timor Leste, the Philippines, Papua New, Australia, Cambodia, and Japan, attended the webinar. The webinar also celebrated World Ocean Day under the theme the ocean Life and Livelihood. This webinar response to the call for a more inclusive approach to reducing vulnerability in the fisheries and marine sector, particularly for women and minorities. The webinar seeks to answer how to apply further gender and social inclusion in the fisheries sector to ensure that minorities and women roles are appreciated and could also participate in sustainable fisheries marine management.
Ms. Yayan Hikmayani, S.Pi., M.Si. officially opened the event on behalf of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF). Ms. Hikmayani shared the gender discourse history since the early development in the seventies. In 1995, Indonesia issued presidential instruction no.9/1995 on mainstreaming gender in development. According to this regulation, gender should be an integral part of development processes to ensure men and women receive equal rights. The ministry has developed gender working groups and conducted several programs. The latest work was the development of the Gender Development Index (GDI) in 2020. The index can be used as the basis to examine men and women’s position in marine and fisheries sector and the formulation of future policies and regulations. Five panelists presented a wide range of gender and social inclusion issues, from the overall concept of GESI to GESI approach at the project level to the impact of Covid-19 on women and fisheries.
Ms. Yenny Widjaja of UNDP stressed the importance of gender mainstreaming. However, the social inclusion concept offers a more comprehensive approach to project implementation. Ms. Karen Hildahl of UNDP pointed that ideally, there should be more than one focal point at the project level to fully incorporate gender into project day-to-day activities. Ms. Kusni Setyowati, Director of PT. Kelola Laut Indonesia provides an insight into private sector experience in working with the community including women in fisheries product processing. Proper procedures and hygiene training should be provided due to the fragility of fisheries products.
Mr. Dedi Supriadi Adhuri of Research Center for Society and Culture, Indonesian Institute of Sciences suggested that a project can achieve better results when working with women organizations compare to working on an individual level. Participation of women, men, and minority is vital in any decision-making, and access is available to related resources to ensure an inclusive process. There should also be an increased awareness on cross-sectional of gender, climate change, and marine protection.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Proceedings of the 2026 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG) Forum "Empowering Coastal Cities for a Blue Future"
The 2026 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG) Forum, themed “Empowering Coastal Cities for a Blue Future,” was organized by the PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development (PNLG), in collaboration with the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers and the PEMSEA Resource Facility, and hosted by Busan Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea. The forum took place from September 8-10, 2026, at the Paradise Hotel Busan.
PEMSEA eBulletin - October 2026
From local solutions to international dialogues, October saw PEMSEA bringing coastal and ocean governance conversations to the forefront.
On the international stage, PEMSEA brought regional perspectives to the 11th International Waters Conference in Indonesia, the 2nd APEC Ocean Resilience Enhancement Conference, and Asia-Pacific Ocean Week 2026. Through these engagements, PEMSEA shared experiences and practical approaches to integrated coastal management, ocean resilience, and source-to-sea governance, contributing East Asian Seas perspectives to wider discussions on shared environmental challenges and regional cooperation.
At the regional level, the PEMSEA Executive Committee (EC) met online for the 36th EC Meeting to review institutional governance measures, discuss regional priorities, and look ahead to key Partnership milestones taking shape for 2027.
In the Philippines, PEMSEA continued to strengthen local partnerships through the PRICELESS Project and MOF/PEMSEA Marine Plastics ODA Project through continued collaboration with its partners and stakeholders.
Different platforms, shared priorities. This month, PEMSEA's engagements showed how regional experience can inform international conversations, how partnerships can shape collective priorities, and how cooperation can support solutions on the ground.
PEMSEA Regional Methodology for Blue Carbon Project Accounting
A Harmonized Guide for Estimating Carbon Stocks, Sequestration, and GHG Reductions in Coastal Ecosystems
Differences in measurement methods, carbon pool inclusion, and monitoring frameworks have made blue carbon projects in East Asia hard to compare. PEMSEA’s Regional Methodology addresses this with a single accounting framework for mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes. It is designed to be compatible with national greenhouse gas inventories and technically aligned with voluntary carbon credit certification requirements.
The Main Methodology sets out project eligibility and additionality, boundaries and stratification, baseline and project scenarios, uncertainty management, a tiering system, leakage, permanence and risk management, and monitoring, reporting, and verification. Five technical annexes provide the field and analytical detail:
- Annex A – Mangrove Ecosystems: carbon stock and sequestration assessment methods
- Annex B – Seagrass Ecosystems: carbon stock and sequestration assessment methods
- Annex C – Salt Marsh Ecosystems: carbon stock and sequestration assessment methods
- Annex D – Mapping Blue Carbon Ecosystems: remote sensing, validation, and change detection
- Annex E – Monitoring Environmental Parameters: the environmental conditions that influence blue carbon ecosystems
The methodology was prepared under the guidance of the Blue Carbon Technical Working Group of the EAS Partnership Council, with contributions from experts across the region. It is intended for project developers, national agencies, researchers, and verifiers working to bring high-integrity blue carbon projects to market.
INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEM VALUES: Accounting and Crediting Guidance Frameworks
The Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) and Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) convened the International Seminar on Blue Carbon Ecosystem Values in Busan, Republic of Korea. The seminar gathered representatives from six East Asian countries, academic institutions, and regional partners to validate enhancements to the Regional Blue Carbon Accounting Protocol (RBCAP), review biodiversity accounting and crediting approaches, and define PEMSEA’s role in governance, verification, and market development. Key outcomes included expert recommendations to strengthen the RBCAP, shared insights on biodiversity crediting pathways, and a clearer vision of PEMSEA’s added value as a regional platform for advancing blue carbon and biodiversity markets.
Proceedings of the 5th PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC) Executive Committee Meeting 2026
The document contains the proceedings from the PNLC Executive Committee (EC) held 9 September 2026 in Busan, Republic of Korea.
The meeting was participated in by the President and Vice-President of the PNLC, the PEMSEA Executive Director, and the PNLC Secretariat from IPB and the PEMSEA Resource Facility. The agenda included:
- Workplan 2026-2027
- Updates on PNLC Expenditure and Financial Sustainability
Other Business:
- PRF Project Updates
- 2027 EAS Congress
- ICM Report
- Nature-based Solutions Capacity-building
PEMSEA Blue Carbon Program Updates