Illegal Fishing AROUND the TONLE SAP
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ζរនេ羶ទខុសចេ厶ប់ជុំវិញបឹងទន䮛េ羶ប illegal fishing AROUND THE TONLE SAP Prepared in 2015 by the Action Research Teams in Pursat, Kampong Chhnang, and Battambang Provinces. Written and edited in 2017 byKate Bandler and Focus on the Global South. may 2018 CONTENTS PAGE 3 Contents Page ACRONYMS 04 INTRODUCTION 05 PURPOSE OF CASE STUDY 06 BACKGROUND 06 Overview of Tonle Sap and fishing 06 communities Overview of the administration of 07 fisheries Factors impacting the Tonle Sap 08 ecosystem and communities Overview of ART network and ways 09 of working METHODOLOGY 11 COMMUNITY EXAMPLES OF 12 ILLEGAL FISHING ON TONLE SAP Large Scale Illegal Commercial 12 Fishing Small Scale Illegal Fishing 13 TYPES OF ILLEGAL FISHING AND 15 PREVENTION CHALLENGES IMPACT OF ILLEGAL FISHING 19 PROGRESS AND ACTIONS TO 20 PREVENT ILLEGAL FISHING CONCLUSIONS AND WAYS 22 FORWARD REFERENCES 25 ANNEXES 26 Annex 1: Analysis of community 26 fisheries regulations Data Collection Plan 28 Annex 3: Internal Rules of Sdey 30 Krom Fishing Community COVER IMAGE: Monitoring illegal fishing in Ek Phnom District, Battambang Province, Cambodia, 4th October 2015, by Focus On The Global South CONTENTS PAGE 3 Contents Page ACRONYMS 04 INTRODUCTION 05 PURPOSE OF CASE STUDY 06 BACKGROUND 06 Overview of Tonle Sap and fishing 06 communities Overview of the administration of 07 fisheries Factors impacting the Tonle Sap 08 ecosystem and communities Overview of ART network and ways 09 of working METHODOLOGY 11 COMMUNITY EXAMPLES OF 12 ILLEGAL FISHING ON TONLE SAP Large Scale Illegal Commercial 12 Fishing Small Scale Illegal Fishing 13 TYPES OF ILLEGAL FISHING AND 15 PREVENTION CHALLENGES IMPACT OF ILLEGAL FISHING 19 PROGRESS AND ACTIONS TO 20 PREVENT ILLEGAL FISHING CONCLUSIONS AND WAYS 22 FORWARD REFERENCES 25 ANNEXES 26 Annex 1: Analysis of community 26 fisheries regulations Data Collection Plan 28 Annex 3: Internal Rules of Sdey 30 Krom Fishing Community COVER IMAGE: Monitoring illegal fishing in Ek Phnom District, Battambang Province, Cambodia, 4th October 2015, by Focus On The Global South INTRODUCTION PAGE 5 Acronyms Introduction ART Action Research Teams CBO Community Based Organisations FiA Fisheries Administration (within MAFF) FGS Focus On The Global South MAFF Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries MoF Ministry of Fisheries NGO Non-Government Organisations TSA Tonle Sap Authority TSBR Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Monitoring illegal fishing Ek Phnom District, Battambang Province, 2015. PHOTO CREDIT: Focus on the Global South (FGS) INTRODUCTION PAGE 5 Acronyms Introduction ART Action Research Teams CBO Community Based Organisations FiA Fisheries Administration (within MAFF) FGS Focus On The Global South MAFF Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries MoF Ministry of Fisheries NGO Non-Government Organisations TSA Tonle Sap Authority TSBR Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Monitoring illegal fishing Ek Phnom District, Battambang Province, 2015. PHOTO CREDIT: Focus on the Global South (FGS) INTRODUCTION PAGE 7 PURPOSE OF CASE STUDY BACKGROUND In 2014 and 2015, fishing communities around the Tonle Sap, identified the persistent issue of illegal fishing Overview of Tonle Sap and fishing and highlighted a marked decrease in fish stock.1 In communities discussions facilitated by the Action Research Team Tonle Sap is the biggest natural reservoir in Southeast (ART) network,2 the communities decided to undertake Asia and is located in the north-west of the Kingdom research to explain the reality and impact of illegal of Cambodia.3 It is part of the Mekong basin4 and is 150 fishing on fishing communities around the Tonle kilometers long and approximately 32 kilometers wide. Sap in Kampong Chhnang, Pursat and Battambang In the dry season, its total size is approx. 2700 km2 with Provinces. Questions were developed by community one meter of depth.5 During the rainy season however, representatives to understand: water from Tonle Sap Lake flows upstream along with 1. the use of illegal and legal fishing equipment; the flooded Mekong River and the lake expands to 2. the division of fishing areas and types of 16,000 km2 and 8 – 14 meters deep.6 This expansion fishing allowed in the three provinces; causes forest and shrubs to be flooded creating the 3. the duties of authorities to prevent and most productive fresh water zone in the world with respond to illegal fishing; a biodiversity of over 500 species,7 including 296 fish 4. the situation for fishing communities after species8 - a fertile feeding and breeding ground for fish FIGURE 1: Tonle Sap Designated the government eliminated lots, and the types of 13 and aquatic animals.9 Zones fishing resources currently available; and 5. to gather data about the impacts of the In 2001, the Tonle Sap was declared a UNESCO Tonle decline of fishing resources and the increase of fish Sap Biosphere Reserve (TSBR), an ‘area devoted to the prices for fisherfolk and local community. The Tonle Sap basin is considered the heart of livelihoods and environment leading to entrenched conservation of biological resources, of landscapes Cambodia, supplying over 60% of the country’s total poverty.19 and of the ecosystem. The Royal Decree by which the The purpose of this information was to inform: fresh water fish yields - an essential source of protein TSBR was declared concurs with this characterization 14 • current fishing communities seeking to for over 80% of the Cambodian population. In 2014, and cites biodiversity conservation, monitoring and address illegal fishing to find ways forward based on an the Tonle Sap produced over 500,000 metric tons of research as the primary objectives of the Reserve. 15 Overview of the administration of understanding of how the local communities see the fish and provided a key source of livelihood for the The TSBR contains protected sites for conserving fisheries issues and their situation; 1.2 – 1.7 million people who live around the lake and on biodiversity, monitoring minimally disturbed • the next generation of ART members and its’ floodplains. Un, Pech and Baran, 2015 identify three Since 2000 the Cambodian Government has been ecosystems and undertaking non-destructive research youth in communities who will continue to source groups of communities which live around the lake: devolving the management of commercial fishing lots and related activities.’10 a livelihood from and work to protect the Tonle Sap floating villages, stand‐stilt communities and farming/ to communities. A push in 2009 and 2010 by organized 16 Fishery Resources. fishing communities. The first two communities, fishing communities and civil society networks The government through the Tonle Sap Authority located in Zone 1 and 2, are highly dependent on fishing around the lake advocating for reform led to ‘the (TSA), responsible since 2009 for the natural resource The below case study report provides a brief and fish processing, marketing and the collection of Prime Minister publicly acknowledged widespread management of the Tonle Sap basin,11 has divided the background to the Tonle Sap fishing communities and forest products such as firewood, aquatic animals corruption in the administration of the commercial land around the Tonle Sap basin into three zones:12 their environment and outlines the administration and and plants in different seasons for their livelihoods. lot system, and the announcement of the suspension • Zone 1: Generally residential area and 20 governance structures and laws which shape fisheries The farming/fishing communities have more mixed of all remaining fishing lots on the lake.’ In 2012, traditional paddy fields with rain-fed farming which management and fishing communities’ roles and livelihoods largely characterized by intensive rice remaining commercial fishing lots (with the exception can be submerged 1-2 months. practices, factors impacting the Tonle Sap ecosystem farming (wet and dry season) supplemented with of the bagnet [dai] fishery) were transferred to • Zone 2: Cultivated area with dry season rice 17 and communities, and the role of the Action Research fishing related activities when not farming. The community fisheries or were designated as fishery that is inundated in the wet season for 4-6 months 21 Teams. This is followed by a brief outline of the fertile flood plains support rice production which conservation zones. “In total, more than 1 million • Zone 3: Area of flooded forests, natural methodology used and then analysis of illegal fishing makes up approximately 12% of Cambodia’s annual hectares of private concessions were transferred to lakes and muddy areas, which is fully protected and 18 from the perspective of the fishing communities – harvest. While most of the fisherfolk around the community fisheries, a radical shift in the management permanently holds water around the Tonle Sap. examples, drivers, progress and challenges. The report lake, particularly in Zone 3 and 2 continue to live a approach, from centralism and private ownership to concludes with the communities’ suggested ways traditional subsistence way of life, they are facing decentralization and community‐based management”22 forward. many challenges which are adversely impacting their with the broader goal to support subsistence 1. Community Notes – This reference refers to the data collected in 2015 by the ARTs as well as follow-up interviews with the FGS representatives, and their 9. Ibid