FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture - Regional fishery bodies (RFB) fact sheets

Regional Fishery Bodies Summary Descriptions

Mekong River Commission (MRC)

Mission
Area of competence
Legal framework
Languages
Organizations involved
Management
Species and stocks coverage
Activities and meetings
Publications
Contact

MissionObjectives The Mekong River Commission (MRC) member countries have agreed to cooperate in all fields of sustainable development, utilization, management and conservation of the water and related resources of the Mekong River Basin including, but not limited to irrigation, hydro-power, navigation, flood control, fisheries, timber floating, recreation and tourism, in a manner to optimize the multiple-use and mutual benefits of all riparians and to minimize the harmful effects that might result from natural occurrences and human-induced activities. Related to fisheries and fishery related issues, the MRC members have agreed to cooperate in fisheries management and to protect the environment, natural resources, aquatic life and conditions, and ecological balance of the Mekong River Basin from pollution or other harmful effects. Functions The MRC has developed a fisheries programme. The goal of this programme is to achieve coordinated and sustainable development, utilization, management and conservation of the fisheries of the Mekong River Basin and to aid the MRC member countries in implementing sustainable fisheries management and development at the local, national and regional levels.
The fisheries programme concentrates on knowledge generation, raising the awareness of fisheries in the Mekong and improving fisheries management, particularly promoting community involvement in management processes. It also has a strong emphasis on implementation, uptake and impact of fisheries information into planning and development decisions in the basin. The programme does research into capture fisheries, trains fisheries managers, promotes aquaculture of indigenous Mekong fish species and disseminates information to policy-makers and planners in the four Lower Mekong countries.
The MRC fisheries programme has four components:

Programme management and communication: this component is responsible for programme management, and coordinates the delivery of fisheries information to target audiences.
Fisheries ecology, valuation and mitigation: this component is about the provision of information for fisheries sector management and planning, and the promotion of mitigation measures.
Aquaculture of indigenous mekong fish species: this component focuses on the development of techniques for propagation of indigenous Mekong fish species for purposes of aquaculture and stocking of waterbodies.
Fisheries management and governance: This component's activities are centred on the development of improved technical and institutional measures for fisheries management.

Area of competenceMekong River Basin.

MRC area of competence - Inland waters

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The designations employed and the presentation of material in the map(s) are for illustration only and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal or constitutional status of any country, territory or sea area, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries.

Legal framework The MRC was established on 5 April 1995 by the Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin. The agreement brought a change of identity for the organization previously known as the Mekong Committee, which had been established in 1957 as the Committee for Coordination of Investigations of the Lower Mekong Basin - the Mekong Committee.
http://www.mrcmekong.org/agreement_95/agreement_95.htm LanguagesEnglish, Khmer, Lao, Thai, Vietnamese. Organizations involved

Member: Cambodia, Lao People's Dem. Rep., Thailand, Viet Nam.

In 2002, China and Myanmar became dialogue partners of the MRC and the countries now work together within a cooperation framework. ManagementPrincipal body The Council, which meets once a year, consists of one member from each country at ministerial or cabinet level. The functions of the Council are:

to make policies and decisions and provide other necessary guidance concerning the promotion, support, cooperation and coordination in joint activities and projects in a constructive and mutually beneficial manner for the sustainable development, utilization, conservation and management of the Mekong River Basin waters and related resources, and protection of the environment and aquatic conditions in the basin;
to decide any policy-making matters and make decisions necessary to implement successfully the Agreement, and to establish guidelines for financial and technical assistance of development projects and programme.

Joint Committee The Joint Committee consists of one member from each country at no less than head of department level. The Joint Committee is responsible for the implementation of the policies and decisions of the Council and supervises the activities of the Mekong River Commission Secretariat. The functions of the Joint Committee are:

to formulate a basin development plan, which would be periodically reviewed and revised as necessary;
to regularly obtain, update and exchange information and data necessary to implement the agreement; and
to conduct appropriate studies and assessments for the protection of the environment and maintenance of the ecological balance of the Mekong River Basin.

National Mekong Committees The National Mekong Committees coordinate MRC programmes at the national level and provide links between the MRC Secretariat and the national ministries and line agencies. The principal implementing agencies of the MRC programmes and projects are the line agencies of the riparian countries in the Lower Mekong Basin. They are served by the respective National Mekong Committee Secretariats in each country. Secretariat The MRC Secretariat is the operational arm of the MRC. It provides technical and administrative services to the Council and the Joint Committee. Species and stocks coverage All fishery species of the Mekong River Basin. Key fishes are carps, catfish, gobies, herrings and anchovies, labyrinth fish, loaches, snakeheads, sharks, sawfish and stingrays, eels and flatfish. Activities and meetings Lists and information on activities, meetings and events are available on the MRC Web site.

Meetings.

Activities related to fisheries. Publications A number of reports and publications are produced under the auspices of the MRC, mainly: technical publications, workshop proceedings, Mekong development series, MRC technical papers, management recommendation, basin reports, MRC strategic plans.

These publications (a large number related to fisheries) are available on the MRC Web site. Contact

Mekong River Commission Secretariat

P.O. Box 6101

Unit 18 Ban Sithane Neua, Sikhottabong District,

Vientiane

01000

Lao People's Democratic Republic

Telephone: (+856) 21 263263

Fax: (+856) 21 263264

Email: mrcs@mrcmekong.org

Web site: http://www.mrcmekong.org/

For press information, use this e-mail.

Email: mrcmedia@mrcmekong.org



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