For Applicants | Focus Areas | RDMA Priority Countries / Rapid Assessment of Fish Stocks in the South China Sea Applicant Resources Apply Application Process Eligibility Focus Areas Find a USG-Supported Partner Frequently Asked Questions Eligible Countries: Burma Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia The Philippines Thailand Vietnam Additional Criteria for Applicants: Please see Section VI of the Solicitation for General Eligibility requirements. Objectives: USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) and the U.S. Mission to ASEAN (USASEAN) have identified over-harvesting, including illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, as a leading threat to marine biodiversity, sustainable fisheries, and food security in Southeast Asia. Overharvesting and IUU fishing are leading to declines in abundance, size, biodiversity, and distribution of economically important marine species such as tuna, grouper, snapper, mackerel, and coral reef fishes. These declining fisheries - which are also threatened by climate change, habitat degradation, and other stresses - remain fundamental to the health, nutrition, and food security of Southeast Asian people. Rapidly assessing the current state of marine resource availability in the South China Sea is a critical first step in reversing the decline of local fisheries. PEER will support research projects which help generate strong data and evidence around adaptation approaches in the fisheries sector, with the goal of increasing the resilience of people, places, and livelihoods associated with the marine resources of the South China Sea. Proposals should utilize robust analytical approaches, and clearly target critical information gaps to inform decision-making. Research proposals may address critical knowledge gaps in areas including (but not limited to): Sustainable fishing yields Managing fish stocks Adaptation approaches in the fisheries sector Combating overharvesting and IUU Regional marine resources/food security Habitat degradation Biodiversity in the context of climate change and natural disasters Regional collaborations among institutions in at least two of the eligible countries are strongly encouraged. Building a stronger knowledge base to inform decision-making will enable resilience of communities and the ecosystems upon which they depend. Proposals should therefore have plans to encourage the uptake of information produced through the PEER activity, particularly through other relevant regional and bilateral USAID activities. This research is of high priority for ASEAN members and supports the goals of USAID and USASEAN.