Monitoring Protocol Workshop



During 4-8 July 2011, the SEAT Project held a Monitoring Protocol Workshop at Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand. The sessions were held at the meeting rooms of KU Home and Faculty of Fisheries. Field work was conducted in one of the tilapia cage sites in Suphanburi province. Analytical lab exercises were conducted at the Department of Fishery Biology Laboratory of the Faculty of Fisheries at KU. The workshop, organized by WP7-Wageningen University partners (Prof Paul van den Brink & PhD student Andreu Rico) with logistics & technical support from SEAT-KU, was attended by representatives of all Asian partners and those from WP4-University of Stirling (Prof Lindsay Ross, Ms Lynn Munro) and WP6-University of Copenhagen (Dr Anders Dalsgaard, Mr Jesper Clausen).

The workshop was held to discuss the monitoring protocols for work within WP4 (Environmental Models), WP6 (Food Safety and Public Health) & WP7 (Environmental Contamination), as activities have to be done in the same areas with the same stakeholders and within the same time frame, as much as possible. 

Each Asian partner was represented by the researchers in charge of SEAT project work or the respective WP. The Asian partners present were Bangladesh Agricultural University (Dr Ripon, Hero-WP6, Ali), Cantho University (Dr Phuong, Dr Son, Phu-WP6), Shanghai Ocean University (Prof Jiang Min, Li Shikang-WP7, Li Kang-WP6), and Kasetsart University (Dr Kriengkrai, Dr Prapansak-WP6,7, Jugk-WP7, Bow-WP4&7, Jigsz, Beach-WP4&7, Ben-WP6, Pawin-WP6). WP numbers after researcher names refer to their specific work assignments within SEAT. Those without WP numbers after their names are focusing on all the three WPs (4,6,7) and overseeing work on them. Also attending were Dr Jason Weeks of CEFAS (WP11) and Dr Henry Madsen (WP6-UCopenhagen).

The workshop was a good approach in integrating the activities of different work packages in a big project like SEAT. Through the exchange of information and deliberation of issues and plans, the whole group was made aware of what each WP and researcher wanted to do, what could and could not be done, and the potential and constraints of proposed activities. The discussion was not only limited to among European partners since the ideas and insights as well as background knowledge of the Asian partners were also taken into consideration.

Surely this is one way of acting on the need to maximise and/or make efficient use of resources, at the same time strengthening team work and supporting each other to achieve the WP deliverables.

It is hoped now that the plans made will come into fruition through the group effort of all concerned.

Photo credits: Chairit Thammachit