Cambodia

120

Kingdom of Cambodia Nation Religion King

Version 3: November 18 th 2004

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department of Fisheries

FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLAN 2005-2008

I.

INTRODUCTION

Both inland and coastal waters of Cambodia are rich in fisheries resources. It is consequently of no surprise that fish and fisheries products constitute one of the most important element s in the diet of the Cambodia n people. Fish and fisheries products originating from capture fisheries and aquaculture are as important as dietary elements today as they were throughout history. With a current annual consumption of about 30 kg per capita today, fish and fisheries products are the most important source of animal protein (accounting for about 75 percent of the total animal protein intake). II.

GOALS

The goal of the fisheries sector is to maximize the contribution of fisheries to the achievement of national development objectives especially those related to improving rural livelihoods of the poor, enhancing food security and the sustainable development and equitable use of the fisheries resource base. The following action plan aims to achieve this goal taking into account the wider policy framework defined by the Socio-economic Development Plan and the Poverty Reduction Strategy, and reflecting the requirement of the Government Rectangular Strategy.

III.

STRATEGY AND ACTIONS

The Royal Government has enabled the community-based development of the fisheries sector by empowering local communities so that farmers can participate directly, actively and equitably in fishery plans, programs and management. The Royal government will continue its program of transforming more of the fishing lots where concession contracts have expired into fish sanctuaries, thereby helping increase natural fish stocks and conserving endangered species. The public fishing ground will be expanded and aquaculture will be promoted to respond to the increasing needs for fish as well as to reduce the pressure on fisheries resources. The Fisheries Department will work with other Ministries, departments and agencies to promote livelihood diversification in support of effective fisheries management. To achieve the goals mentioned above the Action Plan for the Fisheries Sector needs to prepare the way by focusing on high priority actions to be implemented as soon as possible. There are 6 priority areas: (1) Reviewing, revising and improving the policy, plans, legislation, institution and capacity (human and physical) of the Fisheries sector. (2) Increasing more areas for family fishing through Fishing Lot reforms (3) Stock enhancement through conservation and research study (4) Community based fisheries management to promote local participation in fisheries management linked to livelihood diversification. Page 1 of 12

(5) Improving livelihood of poor rural people by enhancing the role of fish in food security, employment and income generation by ensuring the sustainable use of aquatic resources, and by increasing community and household production levels through rural aquaculture development. (6) Improving livelihood of poor people by improving their capacity to more effectively use fish after capture through enhanced post- harvest fisheries development These priorities will be achieved whilst adhering to Cambodia’s international obligations in relation to aquatic resource-use (such as WTO, CITES, ASEAN) and with due reference to FAO’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

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IV.

ACTION PLAN

1. Reviewing, revising and improving the policy, plans, legislation, institution and capacity of the Fisheries sector. Current situation: The fisheries sector is undergoing many changes as result of population increase environmental pressure, changing technology, market forces and policy change. The policy planning, legislation, institution and capacity within the sector need to change in respond to this, but such change must be based on a review of current situation. The existing fisheries management regulations are not appropriate to the current situation when considering recent social, economic and environmental changes. A new draft of fisheries law has been finalized and endorsed by the Council of Ministers and is now waiting to be submitted to the National Assembly for approval. This draft was prepared by using World Bank Loans and some support from Oxfam GB and Oxfam America to have stakeholder consultations. The Royal decree and sub decree on Community Fisheries were also drafted and have been submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval. This process was also supported by Oxfam GB and Oxfam America to allow stakeholder consultations. The other sub decrees and proclamation have been drafted and approved. However, some difficulties have been faced and there is still much to be done. Institutions also need to be reformed to ensure effective management from the central through to the local level and for a sound legislative basis for ensuring that access rights to both land and aquatic resources are effectively protected in law.

The Priorities Actions Short-term actions (one year: 2005) -

Revising the existing regulation to incorporate social, economic and environmental changes and drafting relevant regulations to ensure fisheries management and conservation.

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Reviewing the sector, and, where appropriate, restructuring of the fisheries administration and policies.

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Starting to enhance the management of information and knowledge within the sector, improving planning, coordination and communications systems, and ensuring that staff from central to local level are skilled and able to provide good governance, transparency and good and effective service delivery to the sector.

Medium term actions (2 to 3 years: 2006-2008) -

Establishing legal framework and law enforcement.

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Extension service of legal awareness will be broadly provided to local people to enhance law enforcement.

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Continuing to enhance the management of information and knowledge within the sector, improving planning, coordination and communications systems, and ensuring that staff from central to local level are skilled and able to provide good governance, transparency and good and effective service delivery to the sector.

Expected Results -

Policies, plans, capacities and actions of the Fisheries Department more closely reflect wider development aims and the needs and aspirations of the stakeholders in the sector.

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Every year at least one new sub decree and three proclamations will be drafted and approved, where appropriate.

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Local people will be aware of the importance of fisheries resources. This result will be indicated by decreasing the number of illegal fishing activities.

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Local people will receive a good service in terms of aquaculture technologies, and fish processing demonstrations and fish marketing information from fisheries administration.

Conditions for success So far this area of activity has been implemented by using only the limited national bud get. To achieve our objectives we need to allocate an increased budget through both National and external contributions over an adequate time period and with the necessary cooperation across agencies.

2. Fishing lot reforms Current situation: On 24th October, 2000, the government of the Kingdom of Cambodia introduced a series of reforms in their policies regarding the use of, and access to, fishing lots in the country. The policy reforms were initiated by Prime Ministerial decree and aimed to the growing conflicts between private fishing lot owners and rural people regarding access to fishing areas. They also aimed to contribute to national efforts to alleviate rural poverty by giving the rural poor better access to fisheries resources. About 56% (538, 522 ha) of total fishing lot area has been released to small- scale fishermen. In the year 2003, the second step of fisheries reform has been continued and a further 2000 ha was released. In year 2005, the fisheries reform will be continued. Linked to this are two main activities: a study on the possibility of further fishing lot reductions and the drafting of a map defining clear boundary between fishing lot, fish sanctuary, public fisheries domain and fisheries domain for community fisheries in order to avoid any conflicts between fishing lot operator, small-scale fishermen and community fisheries. In the past, the activities associated with the fishing lot reform were carried out with a very limited budget from the Royal Government of Cambodia. To ensure the more effective implementation of the reforms in the future the activities now need an expanded budget for map preparation, Page 4 of 12

demarcation of fishing lot boundary and dissemination of relevant information to people in the local area. The ongoing evaluation of the results of the fishing lot reform will be continued. This activity has been implemented in cooperation and with support from DFID. The Priorities Actions Short-term actions (one year: 2005) -

Reviewing the findings of the fisheries reform impact assessment work and research the potential for the additional release of fishing lots in order to expand the fisheries domain for local people.

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Continuing the process of defining the boundaries of community fisheries areas and preparing clear maps of fishing lots.

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Officially disseminating to local people detailed information on the location of fishing lots, public fishing ground and fishing community areas.

Medium term actions (2 to 3 years: 2006-2008) -

Demarcating the boundaries of fishing lots, the public fisheries domain, and fish sanctuaries.

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Continuing the evaluation the impact of the fisheries reforms.

Expected Results -

Policy guidance on the release of further fishing lots would be prepared.

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At least 50 maps of fishing lots, public fisheries domain and areas for community fisheries will be prepared and printed.

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Conflicts over resource access will be reduced and livelihoods of fish folk are improved.

Conditions for success In order to successfully implement these activities, the cooperation with relevant institutions, especially with local authorities, must be taken into account and legislation should be put in place. However, an adequate budget and suitable time are needed.

3. Conservation and research study to enhance fish stock Current situation: The institutional and legislative reforms have inevitably required time to be developed and implemented. The priority given to ensuring that such reforms are done in the most effective and transparent ways has been time consuming and has had difficulty in keeping up with the changes in harvesting practice. Presently, the activity of conservation has been going-on slowly, especially the conservation of marine fisheries resources such as coral reefs and sea grasses. In the past few years, the total fish Page 5 of 12

catch from inland and marine sources has decreased because of over fishing, destruction of habitat and use of illegal fishing gears. A program of fisheries conservation is required to enhance the fisheries stocks. In order to improve the conditions of marine and inland fisheries and their associated environments, it is necessary to gain a better understanding of the state of the resources and the factors that are affecting them. Research institutes will have to play a key role in implementing fisheries research for example the Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute. The Priorities Actions Short-term actions (one year: 2005) -

Studying the potential for creating conservation areas from fishing lots in good environmental condition where the existing fishing lot contract is due to expire.

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Continuing research on some potential areas for new conservation sites in both inland and marine water, and also all deep pool in Upper Mekong River.

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Disseminating widely and educate people in all areas on understanding of the importance of fisheries resources, especially by engaging with the school curriculum to introduce the detrimental impact and serious loss of fisheries resources caused by illegal fishing gears (electrocution fishing gear and fine mosquito net).

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Continuing the process of determining the boundaries of flooded forest sites with restricted access and clearly marking such boundaries.

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Continuing the process of preventing damage to the remaining flooded forest and replanting trees in the deforested areas.

Medium term actions (2 to 3 years: 2006-2008) -

Establishing a conservation site in each community fisheries and limit fishing violations within the community fisheries.

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Improving fisheries domain by renovating some parts of lake and canal where siltation has reduced the water depth.

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Developing a pro-poor conservation strategy for aquatic resources by taking into account the need for the enhancement of the existing livelihood and diversification into new livelihood activities which reduce pressure on the natural resource base.

Expected Results -

More than 30ha of lake and canal will be renovated.

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20 new conservation sites will be defined.

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Total fish catch from the wild will be stabilized and brood stock fish will be increased.

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The implementation of Freshwater Research Institute will be strengthened to follow-up the changes occurring in major fish stocks, fish migration and spawning grounds.

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Enhance the awareness of the general public of the value and importance of conservation.

Conditions for success To ensure the sustainable use of fishery resources and provide a valuable safety net for farmers suffering from floods and drought, action to enhance the effectiveness of conservation measures must be taken quickly at donor and central government level down to local communities.

4. Community Fisheries Establishment and Management After the fisheries reform in late 2000, a part of the released fishing lots and other parts of the fisheries domain in inland and ma rine fisheries areas were established as community fisheries, managed with the participation of the local people. At the present time, there are 360 community fisheries established throughout the country. There are many stakeholders actively involved; such as local people, local authorities, and provincial department of agriculture, stakeholder institutions; with support from; the Government, nongovernmental organizations and aid agencies such as ADB, UNDP, MRC, FAO, JICA, CAA, CEPA etc. However, those community fisheries are at an early stage of development because community fisheries development is a new concept for Cambodia. The community fisheries management experience of the fisheries authorities, local authorities, and local communities is still limited. There is also a lack of legal frameworks to support community management. There is also a need for strategies to enhance and diversify the livelihoods of those people affected by the policy reform. The Priorities Actions To be successful and effective in community fisheries management there are a number of prerequisites that must be in place; including: Short-term actions (one year: 2005) -

Strengthening capacity of fisheries officials, local authorities, and community fisheries organizations. This will be achieved through training, workshops, and study tours and share learning of experiences from community fisheries around the world.

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Establishment of additional community fisheries organizations in the fishing grounds which have been segregated from fishing lot, protected areas, reservoirs, and community fisheries refuge ponds.

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Understanding the dependency of people on aquatic resources and how this affects their ability to diversify their livelihood options.

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Finalizing current draft fisheries legislation.

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Medium term actions (2 to 3 years: 2006-2008) -

Increasing knowledge, skills and information flows to a wider group of local communities in order to improve their understanding of the fisheries law, the administrative systems and procedures, and other relevant norms which are involved in community fisheries roles and rights.

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Explaining the importance of fishery resources and the importance of participating in the protection of fishery and other natural resources through community fisheries

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Strengthening the motivation of local community fisheries organizations, their me mbers and the local administrations in order to ensure local participation in the management, maintenance, protection, conservation, and sustainable use of natural resources at the community level.

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Institutionalizing the use of the improved fisheries management framework; including: the model declaration on community fisheries by- law, the community fisheries agreement, the guidelines for management planning, and key steps to be followed for the establishment of community fisheries.

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Researching the potential role of rural livelihood enhancement and diversification, and livelihood alternatives to reduce the pressure on fishing resources from the growing rural population and collaborating with other agencies to develop these livelihood options.

Expected Results - Community fisheries management will be effective and will support the sustainable use of natural fisheries resources. -

People will understand the fishery law, relevant norms related to community fisheries, roles, right of community fisheries, the importance of fisheries resources, and the importance of participation in the management of community fisheries.

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Community fisheries will be increased up to 450 organizations throughout the country.

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The model declaration on community fisheries by- law, community fisheries agreement, management planning, and key steps toward establishment of community fisheries will be enacted.

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Rural livelihoods will be improved.

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Fisheries officers and community fisheries committees will have improved capacity in community fisheries management.

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The pressure on the fishery resources from the increasing rural population will be reduced.

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Conditions for Success The poverty reduction strategy suggests, the future development of the fishery must be tackled on four fronts: 1. Increasing alternative livelihoods in order to decrease exploitation of the fishery resources. 2. Strengthening capacity of communities to manage the fishery. 3. Institutiona l capacity building to assist these processes. 4. Incorporating cross-sectoral approaches into Department of Fisheries' strategies to enable fisheries to work in harmony with other sectors such as agriculture, forestry and water management.

5. Improving Li velihood of Rural Poor People through Rural Aquaculture Development Current situation: Cambodia's considerable aquatic resources are now under threat from overexploitation and environmental degradation. Data available suggest that natural fish catches from the Tonle Sap system and floodplains have probably peaked. Although scientific estimates of production suggest much higher levels than was previously thought, most observers agree that the Great Lake and floodplain fishery cannot be expected to increase catches further. With the revision of the estimates of the Great Lake catch and the addition of the catch from small-scale inland fisheries, average annual per capita fish consumption is now estimated at around 30-40 kg, while the optimum level is about 48kg. In order to fill this gap of dietary requirements and fish availability, aquaculture is recognized and recommended as a source of increased productivity. Furthermore, aquaculture provides excellent opportunities for employment and income generation. In recent years, several development agencies have provided the support to promoted small-scale aquaculture, partly in response to considerable interest amongst farmers to become involved in the activity. Agencies currently involved in aquaculture development include AIT, PADEK, FLD, APHEDA, FAO and more recently, the Mekong River Commission (MRC). Some successes have been achieved, but constraints such as local fish seed availability and a lack of extension workers and materials seems to have prevented sma ll-scale aquaculture practices spreading outside of NGO community development programs. There is a need to exchange ideas on these experiences and for collaboration and co-ordination of effort to overcome the constraints. As the lead agency in the sector, the Department of Fisheries has a responsibility to play the major role in co-ordination of research and development in the aquaculture sector. The Objective -

The overall objectives are to improve food security, nutrition and farm income through small-scale aquaculture in Cambodia.

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To achieve the overall objectives, the specific objective is to introduce and identify the appropriate aquaculture technologies for different farming systems.

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The Priorities Actions All activities will be carried out by farmers (learning by doing) with the help and technical support from the Aquaculture Office, Department of Fisheries. Some in-kind contributions will be given by farmers such as family labor for surveillance of fish farm. Short-term actions (one year: 2005) -

Continuing the introduction of appropriate small-scale aquaculture technologies for different farming systems such as: - fish pond culture integrated with livestock, - fish culture integrated with rice (Rice fish culture).

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Continuing the implement "fish- farmer meets" and exchange activities.

Medium term actions (2 to 3 years: 2006-2008) -

Developing local fish hatcheries in collaboration with farmers.

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Developing aquaculture training methods and extension materials.

Conditions for Success Funding and support to build capacity of both the central and provincial aquaculture unit and for the implementation of the above actions are required.

6. Post-Harvest Fisheries Program Current situation: Small- scale fish processing is commonly practiced by Cambodian people, who are very fond of processed fisheries products such as fish paste, fermented fish, fish sauce, sun-dried and salted-dried fish, smoked fish, and steamed fish. These traditional ways of fish processing are very well adapted to the supply irregularity of the seasonal fish catch. Since much of the fish is caught in a very short peak period it is necessary to process fish quickly and in a basic way which can be done by families and using manual labor only. Though the final product has low value it is a way of handling the amount of fish during peak period which contributes very significantly to domestic food security especially for the rural poor. During 2004 the Department of Fisheries implemented a post-harvest fisheries livelihoods project with support from DFID to understand the importance of the post-harvest sector to the livelihoods of poor people. This will continue during 2005. It is proposed that during the period 2005 to 2006 the post-harvest fisheries activities of the Department of Fisheries will use the knowledge gained to have a positive impact on the lives of people who are dependent on post-harvest fisheries for food, income or employment. The objective The objectives will include: - Working with communities to enhance and diversify their livelihoods, improve access to markets, improve their access to credit and finance, and improve the quality of fish products available to consumers. - Building capacity at the national and provincial levels to carry out this work. Page 10 of 12

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Developing appropriate post- harvest policies and plans for the domestic and export industries to support and guide these activities.

The Priorities Actions Short-term actions (one year: 2005) -

Formulating of a post- harvest fisheries policy framework.

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Developing of a post-harvest fisheries office within the Department of Fisheries.

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Working with stakeholders in the post-harvest fisheries sector to identify strategies for supporting the sector and piloting interventions in key areas.

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Starting to build capacity in national and provincial government staff to understand and respond to the needs of the post-harvest sector.

Medium term actions (2 to 3 years: 2006-2008) -

Continue building capacity in national and provincial government staff to understand and respond to the needs of the post-harvest sector.

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Developing and operationalising a domestic and export quality assurance system and associated facilities.

Expected Results -

A series of interventions addressing macro, meso and micro-level aspects of the postharvest sector.

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The development and promotion of a poverty reduction strategy for the post-harvest sector.

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The development and promotion of policy recommendations for the better management of the post-harvest sector.

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Positive impacts on the livelihoods of poor processors, traders and consumers in key intervention areas.

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Improved quality of fish for domestic consumption and export.

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The development of National Technical Guidelines on Responsible Movement of Fish and Products.

Conditions for success Donors and international organizations will be required to assist Cambodia in building capacity to implement this program

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National fisheries quality control working group should be established to enhance collaboration between different ministries, departments and agencies that have responsibilities across the sector and support the national Codex group.

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