Issued by the APEC Ocean and Fisheries
Working Group
Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China, 6
February 2026
Oceans policy across the region is
increasingly being treated as an economic resilience issue,
as officials overseeing ocean and fisheries policy move to
align marine protection, fisheries management and coastal
livelihoods with longer-term growth and climate adaptation
goals.
The shift reflects the growing role of
ocean-based industries in food supply, employment and trade
and the rising economic costs of climate-related shocks to
fisheries and coastal communities.
“We are at an
important juncture where high-level commitments must be
translated into concrete actions and technical progress that
strengthen the resilience of marine ecosystems and coastal
communities,” said Jinhee Seo, Lead Shepherd of the APEC
Ocean and Fisheries Working Group.
“Our priority
this year is to move from consensus to delivery,
particularly on ocean resilience and the sustainable
management of fisheries and aquaculture,” she
added.
A key focus this year is advancing work toward
the Ocean Resilience Enhancement Roadmap, mandated by the
ministerial meeting in Busan last year, and intended to
serve as a region-wide framework to help economies respond
to environmental shocks while safeguarding fisheries
productivity and coastal livelihoods. The roadmap is
expected to bring together cooperation on fisheries and
aquaculture, marine disaster response, data sharing and
training on the use of ocean and climate
information.
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
Discussions centered on translating
existing commitments into concrete action, particularly in
small-scale fisheries, aquaculture and coastal communities
that remain highly exposed to climate and market
volatility.
Under the thematic discussions, economies
put forward a pipeline of practical projects aimed at
delivering near-term results. These include workshops on
restoring coastal and marine ecosystems to reduce
vulnerability to environmental and climate stress,
initiatives to support community-based conservation and
sustainable fisheries, and programs to improve food security
through climate-resilient aquaculture and seaweed
production.
Officials also highlighted efforts to
deploy digital tools for marine monitoring and prediction,
as well as strengthen early warning systems for
ocean-related disasters. Several initiatives focus on
helping small-scale fishers and aquaculture producers adapt
to environmental change, modernize practices and better
integrate into regional markets.
“As the host of
APEC 2026, we suggest that future work should better bridge
regional priorities with the global marine agenda,” said
Wang Antao, Deputy Director-General at China’s Ministry of
Natural Resources, in opening remarks in
Guangzhou.
“This includes giving greater attention
to the real needs of people in the region, such as marine
ecosystem conservation and restoration, sustainable economic
activity related to the ocean, marine disaster prevention
and mitigation, and stronger ocean and coastal
resilience,” Wang added.
He further encouraged all
economies to actively support and contribute to
strengthening the group’s initiatives, including the APEC
Marine Sustainable Development Report, as a means of
translating shared priorities into concrete and pragmatic
actions.
Economies also discussed ocean literacy as an
emerging area of focus, highlighting its potential role in
strengthening public understanding of the ocean’s
contribution to economic development, climate stability and
food systems, while encouraging broader participation in
marine conservation and sustainable use.
Taken
together, the initiatives reflect a broader shift in ocean
governance across the Asia-Pacific; from managing
sector-specific risks to embedding oceans policy within
broader economic considerations, climate adaptation and
sustainable growth strategies that directly affect
communities and future
generations.
