Inland Capture Fishery Statistics of Southeast Asia: Current Status and Information Needs
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RAP publication 2002/11 Inland capture fishery statistics of Southeast Asia: current status and information needs David Coates Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Bangkok, Thailand The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations concerning the legal or constitutional status of any country, territory or sea area, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers. ii NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT The copyright of this publication is vested in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by any method or process, without written permission from the copyright holder. Applications for such permission with a statement of purpose and the extent of the reproduction desired, should be made to the APFIC Secretary, Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Maliwan Mansion, Phra Athit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand. © FAO 2002 iii PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT In recent years, there has been increasing discussion as to the status of the inland fisheries of Southeast Asia. In recognition of the shortcomings of current inland fisheries information and statistics worldwide, a review of the status of inland fisheries statistics in Southeast Asia was commissioned by the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC) in 2001. The consultant, Dr. David Coates visited Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand to discuss the issues concerning inland fisheries information and statistics with the authorities concerned. During this time the consultant was also able to collect the most recent information on the inland fisheries in these countries. In addition, the consultant also drew on considerable experience of inland fisheries in Cambodia, Lao PDR and VietNam for incorporation into this report. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the author alone and do not imply any opinion whatsoever on the part of APFIC or FAO. The conclusions and recommendations as given in this report are considered appropriate at the time of its preparation, but may be subject to change in the light of subsequent information. iv Coates, D. 2002. Inland capture fishery statistics of Southeast Asia: Current status and information needs. Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission, Bangkok, Thailand. RAP Publication No. 2002/11, 114 p. ABSTRACT Inland capture fisheries in Southeast Asia are characterised by great diversity in the range of gears used, types of environments in which they are used and the socially and culturally complex societies within which they operate. This presents unique problems for the collection of inland fisheries statistics. This report assesses the quality and relevance of existing statistics on inland capture fisheries and the extent to which the statistics meet management objectives. The report suggests ways in which the existing statistics might be improved through cost-effective means and explores the information needs for inland capture fisheries. Based upon the statistics currently available, there is no apparent trend of declining production for any country (except possibly for the Philippines, less so for VietNam). This is somewhat at odds with the frequently expressed view that inland capture fisheries are in terminal decline, and illustrates that the perceptions of these fisheries are not influenced by the available statistical information. This seriously questions the purpose and value of inland fishery statistics. Inland capture fisheries are clearly seriously under-reported in all of the countries reviewed. The discrepancy between officially reported catches (where available) and estimates based upon independent scientifically based surveys (i.e. collection of actual data), varies by a factor of between 4.2 and 21.4. Overall, for all the countries combined, the total reported production from inland waters appears to be under-estimated by a factor of between at least 2.5 and 3.6 Participation in inland capture fisheries is very high, but adequate information on this is rarely collected. Most fishers are not licensed and operate on a part-time or seasonal basis. Large numbers of people are also involved in processing, marketing, transportation and other service sectors. Where information exists, it suggests that participation in inland fisheries might equal that in marine fisheries and possibly exceeds that in aquaculture by a factor of at least three times. In many countries, “statistics” are compiled because they are requested or demanded by central government. The actual purpose of these statistics is often uncertain and countries are reluctant to admit to FAO, and even within or between their own agencies, the true nature of the information reported. Consequently, the “statistics” reported are often taken as factual and are accorded unwarranted authority. A wide variety of methods are used by the countries covered in this review, to estimate inland capture fisheries production. There are also widespread suspected, unofficially recognized or officially confirmed, differences between the official systems in place and actual practice. This report makes recommendations as to what information is appropriate for inland fisheries management and strategies for obtaining the required information. Distribution: Members of the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC) FAO Member States in Southeast Asia FAO Fisheries Department Fisheries Officers in FAO Regional Offices Regional Fisheries Organizations v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................................................................x PART I: OVERVIEW OF INLAND FISHERY STATISTICS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................1 2 STATISTICS VERSUS INFORMATION ................................................................2 3 THE NATURE AND PERCEIVED STATUS OF INLAND CAPTURE FISHERIES ..........3 3.1 Reservoirs and lakes................................................................................................................... 4 3.2 Rivers........................................................................................................................................... 4 3.3 Floodplains.................................................................................................................................. 4 3.4 Estuaries and deltas ................................................................................................................... 5 3.5 Rice-fields.................................................................................................................................... 5 3.6 Categories of fishing activities................................................................................................... 5 4 REVIEW OF CURRENT INLAND CAPTURE FISHERY STATISTICS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA .............................................................................................................7 4.1 Methods of statistics collection and reporting ......................................................................... 7 4.2 The statistics produced ............................................................................................................ 11 4.3 Sources of error in the official statistics ................................................................................. 17 4.3.1 Errors in catch reporting ........................................................................................................ 17 4.3.2 Under-estimates of the importance of small-scale fishing activities...................................... 17 4.3.3 Mis-reporting by government officials .................................................................................. 18 4.3.4 Estimates made without collecting data................................................................................. 18 4.4 Other constraints with the existing statistics ......................................................................... 19 4.4.1 Recording participation in capture fisheries........................................................................... 19 4.4.2 Species composition of catches.............................................................................................. 20 4.4.3 Monitoring fishing effort ....................................................................................................... 21 4.4.4 Aquarium fish ........................................................................................................................ 22 4.4.5 Uncritical acceptance............................................................................................................. 22 4.5 Relationships between the methods used and the accuracy of the statistics........................ 23 4.6 The purpose of inland capture fishery statistics in Southeast Asia...................................... 24 4.7 Historical influences upon the current statistical systems .................................................... 26 4.8 Shifts in policy emphasis by countries, donors and international agencies......................... 27 4.9 Opportunities for shifts in information support at FAO ...................................................... 27 vi 4.10 “Sustainable livelihoods” approaches....................................................................................