Aside from theoretical lectures on facts about fishes and fish taxonomy, the session also comprised with practical workshop on species identification which aims to teach the participants to use a step-by-step process of species identification. According to BFAR, several species, especially sharks, present a challenge for identification, especially when they are landed headed and/or finned and many species were misidentified due to lack of knowledge, experience and appropriate identification literature.
Overall, the workshop was a success, it gave fishermen the ability to identify marine species and empowering them to become stewards of marine resources. This also help them to target specific species while avoiding unintentional bycatch of non-targeted or protected species, minimize ecological impacts and ensure sustainability of fishing operations.
