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FISHERIES DATA

FISHERY SECTOR STRUCTURE

Overall fishery sector

In Cambodia, rice and fish products have been considered as the major means of generating food. Fisheries are one of the most important sectors, playing an important role in the daily food production and contributing to the national economy. Especially the freshwater fisheries are one of the most productive in the world due to the presence of large floadplains around the Great Lake and along the Tonle Sap and the Mekong Rivers. Marine fishery is small compared to the inland fishery as is the aquaculture sector.

Marine sub-sector

Cambodia has a small coastline of 435 km. The marine fishing grounds are located on the eastern bank of the Gulf of Thailand. Marine fisheries were slowly developed compared to freshwater fisheries. Technology applied by Cambodian fishermen before 1980 was very traditional. During Pol Pot or Khmer Rouge regime (1975-79), its activities were stopped due to the radical communism administrative reform. Fishing activities restarted in late 1979 with very few fishing boats. The average catch per unit is low compared to Thailand and Vietnam due to less fishing effort and poor fishing technology. There are four provinces bordering the sea; Koh Kong, Sihanoukville, Kampot and Krong Kep. The classification of fishing activities in the Cambodian Economic Exclusive Zone comprises two main groups; coastal and commercial fisheries.

Catch profile

The coastal zone statistics only report on the fishing effort (by boat and gear) for taxable gears which are largely confined to inshore waters. The offshore fishery is largely fished by international fleets of which there are no estimates of effort, catches or revenue collection. These fleets largely land their catch in their home ports and their fishing operations in Cambodia are believed by many to be controlled by Cambodian ‘security forces’. There is thus, compelling evidence that the official catches for the coastal zone are a major under-estimate of actual catches and there appears to be no means to estimate the composition of the catch of the offshore fishery. There are no (official) production estimates by species and therefore no stock estimates or analysis of trends. Data is collected on fishing effort but there are no data linking fishing gears (effort) with catches. Analysis of catch per unit effort is therefore not possible⁴

Landing sites

Landing locations are not separated from fishing locations in the official statistics. But most fish is landed in Sihanoukville (21 200 t) and Koh Kong (17 750 t) (2001). Harbour facilities are limited. Much of the catch is transferred on the ocean to Thai vessels for landing in Thailand.

Fishing production means

The coastal fishery is characterized by small family-scale fishing operating in fishing zone 1, which extends from the coast to a depth of 20 m. Boats used are without engines or with engines of less than 50 hp. The numbers of boats per horsepower category are shown in table 1. Licenses are not required for boats with no engine or with engine below 33 hp. Boats with more than 33 hp engine pay a license fee of 27 000 Riel (= US$7) per horsepower per year. Fishing activities not allowed includes trawling, light fishing and illegal fishing gear.

The commercial fishery is characterized by large-scale fishing from 20 m depth to the limit of the EEZ. Boats, in general, use engines of more than 50 hp, which also pay a fee of 27 000 Riel per horsepower per year. They use all different kinds of fishing gears including single trawling. Prohibited fishing gear and methods include pair trawling, light fishing and other illegal fishing gear⁴

Table 1. Number of coastal vessels in Cambodia 2001

Source: Touch & Todd, 2001.

The marine fisheries of Cambodia is a multi-species fishery, there are numerous fishing vessels targeting specific species. Remarkably, most of the fishing fleet operating in Cambodia seasonally change fishing gear according to the abundance of particular species and market demand. Sometimes the catch of non-targeted species (i.e. by-catch) may be much higher than the targeted species. However, if the non-targeted species commands a much lower price, it is termed ‘trash fish’. The targeted species, with their associated secondary ‘by-catch’ species are shown in table 2.

Table 2. Gear used and species targeted in marine fisheries in Cambodia

Source: Touch & Todd, 2001

MAIN RESOURCES

According to the DoF 474 species from 105 families have been identified from Cambodian offshore marine waters. Main commercial species include mackerels, scads, anchovies and snappers, which are exploited from September to January. Penaeid and Metapenaeid shrimps are exploited from May to August. Blue swimming crabs, cuttlefish and squid are fished throughout the year. Green mussels and oysters are fished in the Koh Kong estuary, blood cockle is fished in Thmar Sar of Kompong Som Bay and Trapeang Ropov of Kampot Bay.

Table 3 shows the total seafood production on 2001. This is an underestimation of the total production as great part of the catches is directly sold to foreign, mainly Thai, vessels and not landed in Cambodia. Sources say that this might be as much as 80% of the total production.

Table 3. Seafood production 2001

Source: DoF

MANAGEMENT APPLIED TO MAIN FISHERIES

For the main goals and objectives within fisheries management see section ‘Inland Fisheries’.

Technical measures

All marine fisheries are open year round, apart from the mackerel fishery, for which there is a closed season from 15 January to 31 March.

There are four reserves that have marine components; Botum Sakor National Park (171 250 ha,); Preah Sihanouk (Ream) National Park (21 000 ha): including offshore islands and surrounding waters; Dong Peng Multiple Use Area (27 700 ha): includes wetland sites of international importance; Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary (23 750 ha-terrestrial): encompasses the Koh Kapik Ramsar Site.
(Map:www.arcbc.org.ph/BISS/MarinePA/pictures/map-3.jpg).

1. Input controls: The offshore fishing vessels are obliged to have fishing licenses. The coastal fishery is free accessible for boats smaller than 33 hp. Trawling and light fishing are illegal in coastal waters, pair trawling in offshore waters. Unfortunately the enforcement of the fisheries law is very poor.

Map of the Cambodia Exclusive Economic Zone, EEZ (with overlap with Thailand and Vietnam noted), and the zone allocated for licensing to Thai fishing vessels
Source: Touch & Todd, 2001

2. There are no TAC’s or quotas set for marine fisheries.
3. Economic incentives: Fish is subject to 10% export tax payable to the Ministry of Finance.

FISHERMEN COMMUNITIES

The labour force involved in the marine sector, including fishing, gathering, processing, and marketing is estimated to be only 10 000 people (10% of the coastal inhabitants)⁴. In the fishing communities 80% of the people need another job to fulfil in their basic needs. The fisheries communities in Kompot province are among the poorest. The income from fisheries varies on average from US$25-30 per family per month. Sihanoukville and Koh Kong provinces are a little better off due to better fishing grounds.

Inland sub-sector

The inland fishery of Cambodia is one of the richest natural resources in the Mekong river region and in the world, due to its seasonal changes of water regime and its ecological diversity. The high productivity stems from the annual inundation by the Mekong River of the large floodplains found in central Cambodia around the Tonle Sap Great Lake and the Tonle Sap and Mekong floodplains northeast and south of Phnom Penh, where important fish habitats such as flood forests are found. The inland fisheries can be divided into large, middle and small-scale fisheries.

Large-scale fisheries are licensed fisheries, which operate for commercial purpose. Large-scale fisheries are mainly dominated by a system of lots, or concessions, auctioned out by the government to private businesses.

Middle-scale fishing indicates the use of medium-size fishing gear operating in the protected open water of the inland fisheries domain. There are 24 types of middle-scale fishing gear defined in the sub-decree. Usually, employment of this scale of fishing gear varies from two units to not higher than a dozen units. Fish caught by these methods are not as good quality as fish caught in the fishing lots as fish are killed and injured during capture and sold immediately to markets or to fish processors in the immediate area.

Small-scale fisheries are family fisheries, based on small-size fishing gear that can be operated by one or two persons. Also rice field fishing is considered small-scale. Formerly, these fisheries were excluded from the official fisheries statistics and ignored by the fisheries administration.

Source: Fisheries Action Coalition Team.

Catch profile

The Mekong hosts over 1 000 species of fish, Coates et al., 2003, one of the highest species counts of any river system in the world, 500 of these species occur in Cambodia, Rainboter, 1996. However most of the catches are composed of ten species or less. The main commercial species are: Small River carp Henicorhyndus canensis, giant snake head Chama microgettes, river barb, small-scale mid carp cisshienusmicrolepis, and river catfish pangasionodan pangasius spp.

Estimates (by the MRC Capture Fisheries Project at the Department of Fisheries) suggest that the inland fisheries of Cambodia produce between 289 000 and 431 000 tonnes of fish each year, 235 000 of which come from the Tonle Sap Great Lake with an estimated value at landing of US$ 300 millions (Hortle et al., 2004.). The catch can be divided into the different fisheries and is shown in table 4

Table 4. Freshwater fish production in 2000

Source: Hortle et al., 2004.

Consumption surveys indicate that this is an underestimate and that total inland consumption is 66 000T/yr + 60 000 T AA (Hortle et al., 2004.)

Landing sites

The biggest fishing areas in 2002 were Kandal (21 000 t), Kompong Chhnang (20 000 t), Siem Reap (12 000 t) and Battambang (10 200 t).

Fishing production means

Cambodians use an amazing variety of gears of all sizes, many of which were developed to suit local conditions. Many gears and methods reflect the accumulated knowledge of generations of Cambodian fishers. The largest gears, such as lots, dais (stationary trawls) and barrages are rather non-selective and target fish which are migrating in large numbers. Most, smaller, traditional gears are specialized for fishing particular habitats in a particular way to catch a few target species. The diversity of gears parallels the diversity of fish, as more than 150 types of gears are known from Cambodia (Deap et al., 2003).

Large scale fisheries are licensed fisheries. The commercial inland fisheries, especially the adjudicative fishing lots, are one of the big industries in Cambodia in terms of employment and production. Each fishing lot is demarcated and licensed for operation to a private corporation or individual through an auction process for two years. Production is both high value and high volume, which makes the fishing lots a lucrative fishing ground for the wealthy. There are three types of fishing lots: lacustrine, riverine-lacustrine, and riverine.

Middle scale gears are medium mobile and fixed fishing gear operations, such as giant cast nets, seine nets, surrounding nets, long gillnets, giant push nets, longlines, arrow-shaped traps, and short-barrage bamboo traps.

Small-scale fisheries use short gillnets, cast nets, scoop nets, shrimp scoop nets, hand push nets, small bamboo traps, short hook lines, single hook lines, spears, harpoons, etc.

MANAGEMENT APPLIED TO MAIN FISHERIES

There are currently no official management plans, but the Master Plan for Fisheries 2001-2011, which still has to be approved, has three main objectives⁶; 1) Cambodia’s living aquatic resources are harvested within their sustainable limit and resources use rights and obligations are allocated and enforced within basic principles of democracy and good governance; 2) supply of fish and fishery products keep pace with increasing demands; 3) Reduce the incidence of poverty among vulnerable groups of society, including women, in fisheries communities.

Technical measures

Closed season and areas; from 1 June to 30 September north of Tonle Chaktomok (11°33'15"N); from 1 July to 31 October for inland fishery domains located south of Tonle Chaktomok (11°33'1 5"N) (as proposed by the draft fisheries law). It is illegal for small- scale fishermen to fish in fishing lots during the open season (October-May).

Illegal gears

The Cambodian Fict Law on fisheries management and Administration from 1987 permits 52 types of fishing gears. Gears not mentioned by the law are illegal. (Deap et al., 2003).

Input controls

Large scale fisheries are licensed. The rights to use fishing lots are sold through the auction. Middle scale fishing is allowed outside the fishing lot precincts. Small-scale fisheries have open access.

Output controls

There are no TACs set for inland fisheries.

Economic incentives

Export of both inland and marine fish has been legislatively controlled by the Department of Fisheries through the state monopoly company, KAMFIMEX (Kampuchea Fishery Import and Export) for more than two decades. The KAMFIMEX Company is a government mandated monopoly for the export of fish. Fish traders can export only under license by the state company. Provincial licensees are empowered to collect a 4% fee on the value of all fish exported through the province without taking title or providing service.

All fish exports must legally go through KAMFIMEX at the export gates. However, because there are unofficial ‘export gates’ at remote locations, smuggling of fish and fish products is also active. Smuggling is estimated to cover about 30% of total exports.

Fishermen communities

Although not commercially significant, the catch of the small-scale and rice field fishers is of high socio-economic importance as most output from those activities is directly consumed by the fishing family, with only the surplus, or high quality fish, sold for some cash.

Aquaculture sub-sector

The aquaculture sector is of minor significance to the fishery production of Cambodia. The wild fishery in Cambodia has been so productive that there has been little incentive for development of aquaculture. Moreover, until recently, poor infrastructure limited the distribution of fish feed, fingerlings and the products of the industry. Cage-culture expanded greatly in the last decade; for example fish are held in hundreds of floating cages in the Great Lake and along the Tonle Sap and the Mekong near Phnom Penh.

Aquaculture production was traditionally from inland cage/pen culture. Cage culture originated when fish of non-marketable size from capture in the fishing lots were first stocked in pens for fattening through the dry season. Freshwater aquaculture, according to the Department of Fisheries statistics, includes fish farming in ponds, pens and cages; and crocodile farming in ponds and cages.

Main species

In cage culture the most popular species are carnivorous high-value snakeheads (Comicropeltes), but river catfishes (Pangasianodon hypophthalinus), walking catfish (Clariasbatrachus) and introduced fishes such as Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) are also commonly grown, being fed on fishmeal and rice bran. Pond culture is also expanding, based on these species as well as some herbivorous fishes, but is still of very minor importance compared with the wild fishery (Phillips 2002).

Aquaculture production means

Aquaculture mostly entails grow-out (i.e. rearing) of wild-caught fish or fingerlings, which are themselves fed with small wild fish. Fish are raised in ponds, or in natural water bodies in bamboo cages or pens made from nets (table 5). Crocodiles are mainly produced in the Great Lake region and in Sihanoukville.

Table 5. Number and area used in earthen ponds, floating cages and pens in freshwater aquaculture in 2003

Source: MRC 2004

In 2003 the total aquaculture production was 334 000 t of fish, crustaceans and mollucs and 78 000 heads of crocodiles.

Fish fry are currently produced from 13 government hatcheries spread throughout the country, supported by several aid programs, with minor production from some small private hatcheries. Total government hatchery production in 2003 was 13.2 million fry, mainly comprising two native fishes: the red-tailed tinfoil (Barbonymus gonionotus), a river catfish (Pangasianodon hypopthalmus) and two exotic species: Chinese bighead Hypohthalmichthysnobilis and silver carp (H. molitrix species), and Nile tilapia (O. niloticus).

Management

Very recently, the logical and ecologically sound idea of developing aquaculture of indigenous fish species has become fisheries policy. This policy was strongly advocated by a number of fisheries officials, and by international organizations. A number of indigenous species, including river catfish (Pangasionodon hypophthalmus and Pangasiusbocourti), small scale mud carp (Cirrhinus microlepis), Mad barb (Leptobarbus hoevenii) and giant barb Catlacarpiosiamensis, have been suggested to develop breeding, nursing, and farming technology, with river catfish having highest priority. Unfortunately, development of new technology is very slow, due to lack of funding, and qualified human resources.

Recreational sub-sector

Not yet developed, but the Tonle Sap Lake with its flooded forest, spectacular flocks of rare water birds and unique floating villages, together with its proximity to Angkor Wat, provides great potential for tourism and a significant source of foreign currency for the Cambodian economy.

POST HARVEST USE

Fish utilization

The main fish products derived from the fresh water fisheries are: fish paste, fermented fish/steamed fish, dry salted fish, smoked fish, fish sauce, and dried fish for animal feed. The main marine fish products are: dry salted fish, steamed fish, fish meal and dried shrimp, squid, and sea cucumber. These products are both for the domestic and international market.

Commodities of freshwater fisheries are: first, second and third grade fish, kamp eel Manepterus albues, prawn (Macrobrachium), fingerlings and baby crocodiles. Marine fisheries commodities are: shrimp lobster, crab, squid, octopus, cuttle fish, and first, second and third grade fish⁷

A licence from the Fisheries Department is required to transport fish from one province to the other is required, which creates high cost and is very time consuming as the licence has to be presented many times along the route. Margins are therefore high.

There are different preservation techniques used for transport; iced, salted, live in cages and live in boats. These techniques are also used to transport to neighbouring countries.

Fish markets

Change in fish export marketing in Cambodia in the last ten years is found in the diversification of exported fish commodities. Remarkably, after the 1993 general election the Thai market increased its demand for many fish commodities, both inland and marine. The Vietnamese export market is focused on swamp eel (Monopterus albus), bronze featherback (Noptoterus noptoterus), giant snakehead (Channamicropeltes), and third grade fish, small size fish caught by all kinds of gear, for fish feed and fish sauce manufacture. Vietnam also imports river catfish fry (Pangasiidae) for aquaculture development.

Other Asian markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong and mainland China, were importing more lucrative commodities, often live, such as the sand goby (Oxyleotrismarmorata), crocodiles, water snakes, poisonous snakes, coral fish, marine shrimp, squid, mantis shrimp, etc, for exotic foods, skins, the aquarium trade, and traditional drug-making. The trade in wildlife became illegal in June 2002.

Frozen fish is exported through the seaport of Sihanoukville and fresh and live fish is exported via the international airport of Phnom Penh.

FISHERY SECTOR PERFORMANCE

Economic role of fisheries in the national economy

Fisheries play an extremely important role to the Cambodian economy. The fisheries GDP in 2003 was US$442 million or 12% of the total GDP. Inland fisheries produce an estimated 295 000-420 000 tonnes of fish each year with an estimated value at landing of between US$150 m and US$200 m and a retail value of up to US$500 million. The total volume of seafood harvested is speculated to be 30 000 to 50 000 tonnes per year, valued at about US$30 million to US$50 million (US$1/kg of seafood on average).

Demand

The demand for especially freshwater fish is high and will increase with the future increase of the population. People consume on average 60.3 kg/person/yr + 5.2 kg OAA/person/yr (Hortle et al., 2004). Consumers’ preference has shifted from traditional processed products to live and fresh fish. However, rural consumers will still require preserved fish (mainly ‘prahoc’) for daily consumption, because of the absence of refrigeration. In contrast 97.5% of the marine production is consumed fresh.

Supply

Trade

Domestic consumption of marine fisheries products is low and most marine fisheries products are exported. Little data is available on the amount and value of export of fisheries products. The main export markets are in Thailand (at least 50 000 tonnes) and Vietnam, and to a smaller extent Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, USA and Australia. China is the main importer of crocodiles and is an increasing market.

The export of frozen products has declined during the last few years due to lack of raw materials to process.

Food security

The contribution of the freshwater fishery has always been, and is, of primordial importance for food security and nutrition of the Cambodian people. Second only to rice, fish is a vital and generally affordable-food source that accounts for more than 75% of the population’s animal protein intake: an average of 75.6 kg around Great Lake and Tonle Sap of fish (75.6 kg around the Great Laca and Tonle Sap) is consumed per person/annum in fish dependent communities particularly in the Great Lake areas as compared to a national average of 151 kg of rice per year.

These consumption figures indicate that the inland fisheries of Cambodia contribute more to the national food balance than any other inland fishery in the world. Especially the fish paste (pra hoc) is of vital importance for the poor Cambodians and also the most important source of calcium and certain vitamins.

Employment

Six million people or 50% of the population are employed full or part time in fisheries.

The labor force involved in the marine fishery sector, including fishing, gathering, processing, and marketing and is estimated to be only 10 000 people (10% of the coastal inhabitants).

Income generated from fishing activities gradually decreased over the last five years, due to four vital factors: market constraints, poor freshness preservation technology, resource depletion, and security. Consequently, most coastal fishers experienced financial loss and many have been compelled to give up their jobs, or change to small-scale gillnetting. Further more, the increase of motorized push netters (prohibited gear) are also the consequence of this socio-economic impact⁸(Van Zalinge et al., 2004).

Rural development

The population of Cambodia is estimated to be 20 million in 2010. This increase will put an even higher pressure on the fisheries resources as there is now. The open-access areas outside the fishing lots are under increasing pressure from people in search of a livelihood. More than 85% of the population in Cambodia live in rural areas and survive on agriculture and fisheries. As population growth outpaces growth in alternative job opportunities, the number of farmers/fishers increases. In the absence of well-functioning regulatory institutions (such as land tenure laws and registration) natural floodplain habitats are converted for agriculture use and fish catch rates per unit of effort are falling. In addition, conflicts over and with fishing rights increase. In fishing lot areas households depending on fishing for livelihood and subsistence have been losing out to politically and economically more powerful users⁹. The government supports co-management in order to get people directly involved with increased responsibility.

FISHERY DEVELOPMENT SECTOR

Constraints

Some major constraints faced by the fishery sector.
Freshwater fisheries:

• Habitat destruction along the whole Mekong River is the biggest threat to the fisheries resources in Cambodia and neighboring countries. The impact of dams along the upper Mekong and its tributaries on fish migration and water levels. China has built several dams on the upper reaches of the Mekong and more are planned in China, Laos and Cambodia. Dams also constrain fish migration and reproduction which is important in maintaining fish stocks. Logging has a serious impact on freshwater fisheries. It has resulted in downstream siltation of water bodies. The continuous destruction of flooded forest is resulting in a decrease of important reproduction area for many fish species.

• Since there is no data related to catch per unit effort, it is difficult to identify trends of specific fishery commodities, impact on any specific species, or impact of a particular gear. Lacking this critical data, management of this fishery for sustainability is difficult.

• Overfishing caused by unsustainable fishing methods, targeting of spawning fish, the capture of juvenile fish and the fast growing population are a big threat for Cambodia’s future fisheries.

• The use of highly toxic insecticides (Dichlorvos and Mevinphos) has become common practise in small-scale commercial processing of fish paste and dried fish. These insecticides end up in lake and rivers and are consumed daily by the Cambodians.

Marine Fisheries:

• Small fishing vessels are violating fishing regulations, but enforcement is difficult since fishers are very poor and such vessels are not suitable for the offshore fisheries.

• Destruction of coral habitats using cyanide.

Development prospects/strategies

In the fisheries sector development plan for 2000-2005 the Department of Fisheries has focused her strategy on ten main issues:

1. Improvement of Fisheries Administration
2. Establishment of Information System and Publication
3. Enhancement in Fisheries Resources Conservation and Management
4. Revision of Fisheries Law
5. Conservation, Management and Development of Fisheries Resources
6. Fisheries Domain Improvement
7. Inland and Marine Aquaculture Development
8. Development of Fisheries Research and Technical Science Extension
9. Trade, Marketing System and Processing of Fisheries Product
10. Human Resources Development

Research

There is one national research institute, the Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute (IFReDI), which is established in 2002. The objective of IFReDI is to carry out research that provides information which can be used to manage fisheries. Priority areas include fish habitats, migration, consumption and marketing, export of fisheries products, classification of freshwater fishing gear, valuation of fisheries and resource management systems.http://www.ifredi.org

Education

• Royal University of Agriculture (RUA). The RUA has a faculty for fisheries research which does research on growth through breeding and feeding and research on capture fisherieshttp://www.maff.gov.kh/rua.html

• Prek Leap School (PLS)

• Kompong Cham School of Agriculture

Foreign aid/cooperation

There are many international and regional organizations active in Cambodia’s fisheries sector. A small selection is mentioned below:

• Mekong River Commission (MRC). To promote and co-ordinate sustainable management and development of water and related resources for the countries' mutual benefit and the people's well-being by implementing strategic programmes and activities and providing scientific information and policy advice (www.mrcmekong.org).

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is focussing on capacity building in inland fisheries (www.adb.org) in cooperation with the WorldFish Center (www.worldfishcenter.org).

• World Bank is funding projects in various areas in with both loans and grants. Fisheries related are projects in biodiversity and protected area management .

• STREAM: The purpose of STREAM Cambodia is to strengthen, or develop, and communicate strategies, processes and practices that enable poor and vulnerable aquatic resources users to pursue their livelihoods objectives. This will be achieved through supporting better understanding of poor people’s livelihoods, building capacity of service providers, legal reforms and improved communication.www.streaminitiative.org

• Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT) is a NGOs coalition established in 2000 by a group of NGO members. Primarily, main focus of FACT’s program is mobilizing local and grassroots based organizations to do more effective advocacy programs responding to the development policies and programs of the government on the issues that affect Cambodian communities’ livelihoods.www.fact.org.kh

• The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) is an autonomous intergovernmental body established as a regional treaty organization in 1967 to promote fisheries development in Southeast Asia. SEAFDEC aims specifically to develop the fishery potentials in the region through training, research and information services to improve the food supply by rational utilization and development of the fisheries resources. Its services cover the broad areas of fishing gear technology, marine engineering, fishing ground surveys and stock assessment, post-harvest technology as well as development and improvement of aquaculture techniques. Cambodia is member of SEAFDEC.

• DANIDA, WWF, Oxfam, and others.

FISHERY SECTOR INSTITUTIONS

The Department of Fisheries (DOF) (www.maff.gov.kh/departments/dof.html) is placed under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) (www.maff.gov.kh). The director of the DOF is assisted by a deputy director and together they are managing 16 different units and offices. The DoF’s main responsibilities are licensing, enforcement of regulations, research, and community fisheries management.

The Community Fisheries Development Office (CFDO) was established within the Cambodian Department of Fisheries (DoF) in 2001 as part of on-going fisheries reforms to undertake the role of coordinating emerging Community Fisheries (CF's). Community Fisheries is a new form of resource management adopted by the government of Cambodia in 2001, where commercial fishing grounds were released to local communities for community management. By the end of January 2003 there were 264 Community Fisheries though few have management plans and some of them have not yet prepared regulations or by-laws.

GENERAL LEGAL FRAMEWORKS

The Department of Fisheries has been revising the existing Fisheries Law to better suit the present social and economic situation. The revised Fisheries Law will reflect the needs for community participation in fisheries management; it will emphasize the need of environmental protection and preservation. There have been comprehensive consultations with local communities, local administrations and between the different ministries and agencies of government. The Department of Fisheries has revised the Fisheries Law and sent it out for consultation with all stakeholders and NGOs at local level. After finalization, the draft of the Fisheries Law was sent for consideration by the Council of Ministers in 2002, but is still not been officially approved (March 2005). A draft cab be found atwww.maff.gov.kh/e-library/DraftFisheriesLaw.pdf

The main legal fisheries documents are listed below (for more information seewww.ecolex.org):

1. Law on the Establishment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, 1996.
2. Proclamation No. 0067.PROR.KOR.KOR.SOR.KOR on setting up a limit of the forest belonging to the inland and marine fishery domain, 1989. This text consists of 6 articles. Article 1 establishes the concept of precinct forests defined as the inland and marine fisheries domain and reserved for fishery productivity. Article 2 subjects the issuing of the land property in the precinct forest to the approval by the Ministry of Agriculture. The conduct of activities such as clearing, chopping, reclaiming or burning is prohibited unless prior authorization of the Ministry of Agriculture has been granted (art. 3).
3. Proclamation No. 0040.PROR.KOR.KOR.SOR.KOR. on demarcation of inland fishing lots and fish sanctuaries, 1989. A Proclamation to delimit inland fishing lots and fish sanctuary. It consists of 4 articles and a table on demarcation and location of fishing lots.
4. Sub law No. 26 OR.NOR.KROR on hiring inland and marine fishery domain for fishery exploitation, 1989. This Sub-law regulates the leasing of inland and marine fishery areas. Fishing lots, other than those reserved for the Ministry of Agriculture, shall be rented to private citizens for fishing on an auction basis. A public advertisement for this purpose shall be made at the Department of Fisheries and local agencies (art. 4). A person who wants to bid on a fishing right shall make a bid application at least 10 days before the auction in accordance with provisions of article 6. The fishing right auctioned shall be for 2 consecutive fishing seasons (art. 7). Article 8 outlines the procedure of auction. The bidder shall place a provisional bond and the "provisional renter" shall place a definitive bond (art. 9). The successful bidder may, after the definitive decision of the Ministry of Agriculture, sub-lease a part of the fishing lot of which the yield must not be higher than 50 percent of the whole lot (art. 17). The holders of the fishing rights have the power to arrest persons and seize goods on the fishing lot leased. (art.18). Article 20 makes provision for licensed "middle scale fishing" in inland waters. Article 21 makes provision for "small scale-family fishing". Remaining articles deal with fees and offences. (29 articles).
5. Proclamation No. 0002.PROR.KOR.KOR.SOR.KOR on competent authorities in issuing permission to do fishery in open water, aquaculture, fish processing and special permissions, 1989. This Proclamation consists of 9 articles regulating the issuance of licences (fishing, aquaculture, processing and special authorization).
6. Proclamation No. 028 KOR SOR KOR on restrictions of fishing gear allowed in inland and marine fisheries, 1987. This Regulation specifies permitted fishing gear in two tables. Table A lists fishing gear permitted for inland fisheries, sub-dividing it into small-scale family fishing gear, middle-scale fishing gear and industrial fishing gear. Table B lists fishing gear permitted for fisheries in Cambodia's marine waters and is divided into the following sections: small-scale family fishing gear, fishing gear permitted but requiring payment of fee.
7. Fisheries Management and Administration, Fiat-Law No. 33 KRO. CHOR, 1987.
This text consists of 44 articles divided into 6 Chapters: Interpretation (1); Exploitation in inland fishery domain, aquaculture and processing freshwater fishery product (2); Exploitation in marine fishery domain; Aquaculture and processing sea product (3); Competent authorities for solving the fishery law violation (4); Penalty (5); Final order (6).All kind of fishing in the fishery domain is subject to permission and may be allowed only for small scale - family - fishing and for middle scale fishing. Other provisions concern fishing gears that are prohibited in the inland fishery domain.