LOS BAÑOS, Laguna ─ “Aquatic resources, although renewable, are not infinite and need to be properly managed”.
Thus guided by this tenet from the Context of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF), PCAARRD and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) National Committee on Marine Sciences (NCMS) gathered 25 fishery managers for a much needed re-tooling.
This training on Sustainable Fisheries Management (SFM) in CCRF was recently conducted at the Bulwagang Panday Karunungan of PCAARRD.
The training focused on the scenarios and issues on the state of the fisheries resources; relevance of CCRF to SFM; national and local adaptation of CCRF in the Philippines; SFM; and integration of SFM into Integrated Coastal Management (ICM).
The course used cases and lessons from local experiences for possible adaptation in response to specific conditions. Training activities such as practical exercises, lecture-discussions, workshops, and games encouraged participation among the trainees. 
Among other benefits, the training equipped the participants with the ability to describe scenarios and issues related to the state of fisheries resources at the global, regional, national, and local levels. They were also able to articulate the significance and need for SFM and identified local fisheries management issues that can be addressed by CCRF.
The participants, representing state universities and colleges, from Regions 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao attended the training course. Member agencies of the NCMS also participated.
Participants signified their interest in attending training course on resource assessment and training of trainers. The group also created a Facebook account in order to continue their collaboration-a network wherein they can share their activities and updates from their respective agencies/areas.
Resource persons/facilitators were from PCAARRD, Bicol University, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Mindanao State University–Nawaan, and University of the
Philippines Visayas.