Baseline Survey and Consultation Meeting to Clarify Feasible ways for Implementation of Management Measures in Chong Khneas

Date: 6-8 May 2015

Venue: Siem Reap Province, Cambodia

Objectives

1. To collect concrete information from real case of Co-management/CBFM implementation in Chong Khneas fishing community,

2. To identify issues and challenges for improvement of fishery management in Chong Khneas fishing community and find out appropriate actions,

3. To develop Implementation Plan in Co-management/CBFM in Chong Khneas fishing community,

4. To  provide reference information for fishery officers in Cambodia on the key to successful implementation of Co-management/CBFM.  

Result

Mr. Lieng Sopha, Acting Director of Community Fishery Development Department, informed the participants on the objectives and proposes of the Meeting including the time schedule during three days meeting. Then, Mr. Sombut, head of Chong Khneas Community Fisheries (CFi) introduced background of Chong Khneas Community Fisheries and scope of fisheries management in the community. The CFi was established in 2001, supported by local authority and Fisheries officers and FAO. CFi members come from 6 villages of Chong Khneas commune which has 755 families and 70% people are fishers. There are many activities implemented such as extension and dissemination, broodstock management, social development by group with supporting by governments and FAO.

Mr. Sombut also mentioned about the challenges on community fisheries management. The challenges were 1) Insufficient of facilities and materials for patrolling of IUU Fishing in the community, 2) IUU Fishing has happened sporadically at night time during the absence of fishing patrol boat, 3) Fishers have a limitation in pointing out IUU Fishing to fishing community committees, 4) Inadequate of demarcation of conservation areas, 5) Water canal, which connected to protected area, have shallow that lead to difficulty for transportation by boat or ferry during dry season, 6) Lack of budget support to conservation guard at protected area. For the solutions, He also pointed out that 1) Disseminate, educate and encourage users to stop using illegal fishing activities, and 2) Handle and coordinate among fishers during conflicts. Moreover, he suggested that government should 1) Help to seek funding to support communities' sustainable fishery resource management activities, 2) The committees should have uniform for patrolling, 3) Provide training courses on aquaculture, livestock and plantation, and 4) To re-dig old shallow lake from Kbal Khun Theay Khoem to conservation area (Boeng Pea Raeng).

In addition, SEAFDEC team and participant visited the Chong Khneas fishing community and conservation area. The community has around 20 family household. Main fishing gear are fish trap and gillnet. In the community, there is one canal, which connected to conservation area. They use this canal with 3.5 km length to go for fishing. Moreover, they would like to do ecotourism by bringing the tourists to conservation area through this canal. However, the fishers face the problem that someday, they cannot go through the canal because it is very deep water in rainy season as well as it is a shallow water in dry season. Hence, they would like to dig canal more deeper for fishing and ecotourism.

In addition, CFi has management plans to 1) patrol IUU fishing in the community territory, 2) plant flooded forest, 3) disseminate on aquaculture extension, and 4) renovate post office, boat and watchtower. According to develop the CFi management plans, SEAFDEC team, Cambodian officers, and the representatives from Chong Khneas fishing community had discussed together on the CFi Management and Development Plan for 2015.

After discussion, the CFi Management and Development Plan for 2015 composed of three components; 1) Fisheries Management, 2) Rehabilitation, and 3) Livelihood. For the fisheries management, they would like to make internal rule and regulation and awareness building on law and internal rule including awareness on Cambodia aquaculture guideline as well as conduct patrolling and fisheries information gathering. For the rehabilitation, they would like to rehabilitate fish habitat by planting flooded forest and install artificial shelf in conservation area. For livelihood, they would like to increase income for fisheries household by promote ecotourism, aquaculture, livestock, vegetable plantation, and micro finance.