SEAFDEC/IFRDMD Organizes Regional Workshop on Pilot Testing the Eel Database Web System
Bogor, Indonesia, 17 September 2026 – The SEAFDEC/Inland Fishery Resources Development and Management Department (SEAFDEC/IFRDMD) conducted the Regional Workshop on Pilot Testing the Eel Database Web System for Selected ASEAN Member States on 16–17 September 2026 in Bogor, Indonesia.
The two-day workshop brought together around 20 participants from Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Viet Nam to pilot test the Eel Database Web System and provide practical inputs for its potential regional application.
The workshop was opened by Maulana Firdaus, Ph.D., Chief of SEAFDEC/IFRDMD, and attended by Dr. I Nyoman Radiarta, Director of the Agency of Marine and Fisheries Extension and Human Resources Development, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), Indonesia, and SEAFDEC Alternate Council Director for Indonesia. In his Welcome Greeting and Guidance, Dr. Radiarta emphasized the importance of reliable and comparable data in supporting science-based conservation, sustainable utilization, and regional cooperation on eel resources.
Tropical anguillid eels (Anguilla spp.) are important fisheries resources in the region. Strengthening eel management requires reliable information on catch, fishing effort, species, fishing locations, and biological and environmental characteristics. The workshop provided an opportunity for participating countries to share their existing monitoring practices and identify areas for greater harmonization.
Originally developed to support eel monitoring in Indonesia, the Eel Database Web System was pilot tested by participating countries through practical sessions on data entry, editing, validation, dashboards, reporting, and data export. Country presentations and discussions also focused on minimum data requirements and Enumerator Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The second day focused on data quality control, dashboard interpretation, system improvement, and country implementation planning. Participants identified technical and data-structure issues and provided recommendations for further system refinement, documentation, and continued pilot testing. A technical visit to an eel farm in Bogor was also conducted as part of the workshop programme.
The workshop was closed by Mr. Toru Shimoda, Deputy Chief of SEAFDEC/IFRDMD. Indonesian participants included representatives from MMAF and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), field enumerators from West Java, Central Java, and Central Sulawesi, as well as SEAFDEC/IFRDMD officers.
The workshop generated practical inputs to support the refinement of the Eel Database Web System, harmonization of minimum datasets and monitoring procedures, and preparation for future implementation in participating ASEAN Member States. The initiative contributes to SEAFDEC’s efforts to strengthen regional cooperation and promote more reliable, standardized, and accessible information for sustainable management of eel resources in Southeast Asia.