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Fisheries Administration
 Fisheries Administration
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,
# 186, Norodom Blvd, Phnom Penh 12301, Cambodia.
Tel/Fax: (855) 23 215 470,
Major Responsibilities
Introduction
Importance of Fish
Fish Processing
Major Activities
Statistics
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Major Responsibilities
The Fisheries Administration shall bear the following obligations:
- Prepare and establish fishery resource inventory, assess potentiality classified by kinds and follow up the evolution of fishery resource and aquaculture;
- Enact law, regulations and orders for fishery protection and improvement and the management of fishery resource exploitation and monitor the implementation;
- Prepare planning to manage fishery zones, fishery conservation and set up fishery resource development policies and measures to ensure the environmental protection;
- Conduct scientific research study on fishery and aquaculture and establishment of documentation;
- Inspect and manage all activities of fishery resource exploitation and aquaculture;
- Support and encourage any person who initiated on fishery resource protection and take consideration of aquaculture promotion; and
- Undertake other duties which to be given by the leaders of the Ministry.
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Introduction
The inland wetland ecosystems in Cambodia include the unique and beneficial hydrological system of the Mekong River and its tributaries, and the Great Lake watershed system. Together, they form a huge natural wetland, which covers about 20% of the country’s total territory during the peak flood period in the rainy season. Interestingly, during the peak dry season period, the water surface area of these wetlands is about 5-6 times smaller than that of the flooding season. The Mekong flood water starts in June to feed its catchment areas, in particular the Great Lake region. It peaks in September forming a huge water body at the heart of the Cambodian territory. These waters recede from the catchment areas and the Great lake region to the main stream. This recession begins when the Mekong flood water ceases November and lasts until February/March. The reverse water system of the Mekong River and its natural basins is critical in terms of aquatic bio-diversity, especially fisheries.
The Cambodia’s fisheries sector encompasses extensive freshwater fisheries within floodplains, river and lakes, marine fisheries, rice field fishery and some aquaculture. Cambodian freshwater capture fisheries probably contribute more to national food security and the economy than such fisheries do in any other country in the world. The annual catch ranges between 290,000t – 430,000t, which is the fourth largest in the world. Cambodia’s freshwater fisheries have high diversity of species. More than 500 species of fish are present, or likely to be encountered in fisheries in the Cambodian Mekong River and more than 700 species are encountered in Cambodian freshwater fisheries.
The annual marine production is about 40,000 tons. The research study (1983-85) reported that some 435 fish species from over 97 families in water falling within Cambodia’s EEZ with a total stock including Mackerel, Scad, Anchovy, Sardine, Tuna and Pomfret were identified as the most commercially important pelagic fish and Threadfin Bream, Croaker Big-Eyes, Lizard Hair-tail fish, Flat fish, Snapper, Barracuda, Grouper, Shark and Conger eel as the most important demersal fish. They identified seven shrimp species, one squid species, and two cuttlefish species with a stock of about 1,300 tons per year.
Cambodia’s aquaculture development, particularly small-scale aquaculture, is significant. Its production varies from 1,610 tons in 1984 to 15,000 tons in 2000. Cage and pen culture production contribute more than 70 % of the total aquaculture project. The major cultured species from cage and pen systems are Pangasius hypophthalmus (73%) followed by Channa micropeltes (21%). Other species produced include Puntius sp., Clarias batrachus, Oxyeleotris marmorata, Cirrhinus sp., Puntius altusand Leptobarbus hoevennii which fishermen used to stock for a couple of months for fattening during abundant catches and then sell when fish were scarce.
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The importance of Fish
Fish is providing some 75% of the total animal protein intake for the population; a well-managed fisheries sector is essential for the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) to meet its key goals of food security, poverty alleviation and national revenue generation in the country. The monetary value of the total fish catch ranges from US$ 250-300 million, which the fisheries sector contribution ranges from 8% to 10% to the total national GDP of US$ 2, 800 million.
In terms of employment, the importance of the fishery sector is significant yet underestimated. Figures are usually underestimated because secondary and tertiary occupations in fisheries are not revealed. A household survey in 1996 along the water bodies and inundation areas found that for 11 percent of households, fishing was the primary occupation. More than 34 percent of households that did not cite fishing as their primary occupation, but reported a part-time involvement in fisheries. In regular rice farming areas the study revealed that more than 13 percent of farm labor requirements are spent in fishing activities, however, more than 18 percent of the value of their subsistence production comes from fishing.
Fish Processing
Large quantities of freshwater fish and to a lesser extent marine species are processed for human and animal consumption. Most processed product is consumed domestically, though a proportion of higher-quality, higher-valued product is exported, mainly to markets in Southeast Asia. Principal species processed include freshwater and marine miscellaneous finfish and shrimp (dried, iced and frozen), squid, octopus.
Processing involves a range of basic but effective preservation techniques. These techniques include sun-drying, salt-drying, smoking and steaming. In addition, there is significant processing of traditional fishery products (fermented fish and fish sauce). Traditional processing absorbs high volumes of small low value inland and marine species.
High value fish processing for export using modern facilities is undertaken at two locations: Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. The Phnom Penh plant exports live, iced and frozen freshwater finfish (mainly snakehead and sand goby) to markets in Australia, France, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore. In Sihanoukville, the plant processes shrimp (about 20 tons tail-weight per month) for export to France in 0.2 – 0.5 kg blocks. The shrimp is purchased from small scale fishermen.
A part of fisheries products are exported by air (iced and live) from Phnom Penh, by sea from Sihanoukville, by road from Siem Reap and by river from various inland destinations. Sea export involves the transportation of fresh and frozen fish as well as export of live product (e.g. a collector vessel buys high-value marine species live from fishermen and ships them to Hong Kong in tanks). Significantly qualities of iced freshwater finfish (2 tons per day) are carried by truck to the Thai border from Siem Reap together with live eels and frogs (1 ton per day) in season (3 months per year). High-quality traditionally processed products as well as smoked and sun-dried fish is also exported to Thailand by road. Freshwater fish, much of it salted and ready for processing or for use as aquaculture feed, is transported by river to markets in Vietnam. It was estimated that 65-70 percent of marine catch is exported, though the proportion of shrimp exported is reckoned to be 80 percent of product (20 percent of which is frozen and the remainder exported on ice).
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Price
In general, domestic price for marine species of fish are lower than freshwater species. This situation reflects the preference for the latter species and probably a lack of knowledge by consumer about marine species. Occasionally, price for product were quoted; for trawl-caught marine finfish for domestic consumption indicative price were reported to be Riel 800-1,000 (US$0.22-0.35) per kg; US$3.00 per kg for small dried freshwater prawns for export and high-value live marine species around US$3.52 per kg.
Major Activities:
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