Workshop of Collaborative Project between SEAFDEC & Lao PDR: Summation and Way Forwards of Inland Fisheries Resources Management in Nam Ngum Reservoir

Date: 14 December 2010

Venue: Vientiane Province, Lao PDR

Activity implemented:

Dr. Bounkhuang Kambounheaung, Director General of the Department of Livestock and Fisheries, Vientiane Capital, hospitably gave opening address and welcome to all Laos officials, SEAFDEC staff, and representatives of twenty-five villages of five districts of Vientiane Province for participation in the workshop. The Director General kindly addressed that the workshop was a nice opportunity to gather both local government officials and local users to participate in sharing, discussing and exchanging experience and lesson learned received from the three-year project implementation.

Dr. Chamnarn Pongsri, SEAFDEC Secretary-General delivered a short remark on the importance of the workshop to present and report of the project activities implemented in 2008-2010. He emphasized that local users’ participation and involvement in the project activity was apart of community development and management to improve the users’ awareness and livelihood getting better. Mr. Bouaphan Konedavong, the Deputy Director of the Provincial Agriculture and Fsiheries Office, Vientiane Province, delivered the welcome remark to all officials and local village representatives. Then, all participants, Laos officials, representatives of all villaged and SEAFDEC staffs joined the group photograph.

Dr. Yuttana Theparoonrat, SEAFDEC, gave a presentation on the project framework and timeframe. In addition, he delivered background, objectives and expectation of the workshop outcome included agenda clarification for adoption. Continuously, Dr. Yuttana T. presented the summation of the project implementation and output executed in last three years to the workshop. According to this presentation, a local representative expressed that the activity of conservative zone management and implementation was useful to enhance inland fisheries resources securing means of livelihood. Besides, he was appreciated to an installation of marked buoys along conservative zone of his village clearly notified the zone. However, other local representative made comment that regulations of the zone management and control should be approved by local government office and publicly announced to adjacent communities. Accordingly, other local users did fishing away from the conservative zone.

Mr. Phouthong Singhakam, the head of the Nam Ngum Reservoir Fisheries Research and Management Center reported that the center officials and local representatives received lesson learned and experience involved in the project activities particular the revitalization of conservative zone establishment and management as well as a short-training on aquaculture of freshwater fish and frog culture.

Additionally, Mr. Khanthong Chanmanee, a fisheries official of of the Nam Ngum Reservoir Fisheries Research and Management Center reported that a local representative of some targeted village practiced fish/frog cultures as additional sources of income. Nevertheless, representatives of beneficiary village still needed more equipment for developing and engaging in each culture as well as technical assistance such as hatching and nursing methods. According to the practice of fish/frog cultures, a local representative suggested that the village should define the areas/zone for executing the cultures. This was to alleviate conflict of local users in fishing and culture activities.

Participants of the workshop were splited into two groups. Each group was assigned to brainstorm and discuss on designed activities, which could be initiated by local communities, as means to practice and continue after the project termination. Mr. Akane Phomsuwan, Deputy of Fisheries Section, DLF, Vientiane Capital City presented the conclusion of the workshop related to both advantage and disadvantage of conservative zone establishement and management given an impact to inland fisheries resources and livelihood of local users. Besides, participants’ suggestion and recommendation, which were useful to develop and improve the practice of the implemented project activities also summarized.

At the end of the workshop, SEAFDEC Secretary-General was deeply grateful to all participants for their active participation in discussing and exchanging their opinion for a better practice of conservative area management and fish cultures. He concluded that SEAFDEC was a technical supporter to deliver lessons and practices to all targeted villages to improve inland fisheries resources. He encouraged local users to keep practicing in each activity and hopefully visit the villages for observing the villages’ accomplishment. He thanked all representatives for their strongly and active participation in the workshop. In addition, he thanked the organizer to organize the workshop accomplished with suggestion and means of practice. He also wished all participants to have a safe journey to their hometown and declared the workshop closed.

Workshop on “Revitalization of Protected Area Conservation” at Laos Electricity Company, Nam Ngum Reservoir, Vientaine

The Stakeholder Consultative Workshop on “Revitalization of Protected Area Conservation”
Venue: Laos Electricity Company, Nam Ngum Reservoir, Vientaine Province, Lao PDR

Date: 25-26 November 2008

Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center-Training Department (SEAFDEC-TD) received a kind agreement from the Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DLF), Lao PDR to implement “the Promotion of inland small-scale fisheries management through rights-based and co-management towards institutional building and participatory approaches” with cost-sharing scheme. Regarding the cost-sharing scheme, SEAFDEC-TD has also received supporting fund from Japanese Contribution to share with the DLF for the project implementation.

Then the stakeholder consultative workshop has main activity to facilitate stakeholders to share, exchange and discuss to form co-management institution between stakeholders and local government agencies.

The Workshop carried out through three main sessions. First, knowledge transfer on concept of co-management including rights-based fisheries which was presented at the workshop. This presentation has an objective to encourage understanding on how and why co-management and rights-based fisheries concept is prominent to better inland small-scale fisheries development and management. Related lessons learned and experiences also illustrated along line with the concept presentation in order to facilitate a tangible scenario to stakeholders.

Discussion and decision session was second exercise to let stakeholder express, consider and discuss on problems commonly affected to their livelihood and employment. Then, participants had brainstorming to define solution and place the right solution into the problems. The results of the group discussion was a decline of aquatic resource in the reservoir, illegal fishing gear and operation, deterioration of environment, an increase of number of fishers. The solutions purposed for these problems were stop illegal fishing gear and operation, promote coordination between government officers and community to control and manage a use of aquatic resources, demarcated conservation area and management, etc. In this connection, they defined that government side should take leading role to action in solving each problem and collaborated with local community to promote a sustainable use of aquatic resources.

The last session, seeking and forming co-management institutional design and establishment is the most important session. This is to settle a local management entity or body to implement and promote inland small-scale fisheries development and management achieving better situation.

For further information please contact at phattareeya@seafdec.org or narumol@seafdec.org