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 Statement of H.E. Chan Sarun,
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
at the First Semester Meeting between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Donor Community.
28 January 2003, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
(Unofficial Translation)
Samdech HUN SEN, Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia,
Distinguished guests,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and myself, I am very pleased to participate in this very important meeting. Let me express my deep-felt gratitude to donor countries, international and non-government organizations for their continued support for the sustainable management of the natural resources in Cambodia.
As an institution responsible for the management of natural resources, I would like to inform Samdech, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen that the policy reform in natural resources management, especially of the forest and fisheries sectors of Cambodia in this second mandate of RGC is a driving force for MAFF to achieve significant results as follows:
I. Forestry Sector
1. Forestry Law Enforcements
In 2002, the Forest Crime Monitoring and Reporting Project (FCMRP) had faced some financial problems and then it was suspended by FAO, however, The MAFF (Department of Forestry and Wildlife) with strong supports from relevant institutions, RAMF, national policemen, local authorities and a number of international development partners, such as WildAid and CI are continuously eliminating illegal activities, in the effort of maintaining the normal and permanent order in the forestry sector, that has paved the way towards Sustainable Forest Management.
Along with the forestry law enforcement, new legislations, regulations and other legal & technical frameworks have been developed and adopted, especially the new Forestry Law was adopted by the National Assembly on 30 July 2002 in the eighth plenary session of its second legislature and the Senate wholly agreed with the form and spirit of this law on 15 August 2002 in the seventh plenary session of its first legislature. It was endorsed through Preah Reach Kram NS/RKM/0802/016 that the law was to come into effect, on 31 August 2002, and the law was distributed widely. Along with this, the Department of Forestry and Wildlife (DFW) has also published 50,000 copies of the forestry law in which 10,000 copies were funded by WildAID.
In addition, the DFW of the MAFF, as the Secretariat of the National Committee to Manage and Execute Forest Management Policy, in cooperation with GTZ of the Cambodian-German Forestry project, has initiated and prepared a draft national forest policy statement. Later the Royal Government of Cambodia adopted this statement as a forest sector policy that was released by Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen on 26 July 2002. The statement reflects the clear vision and strong commitment of RGC in Sustainable Forest Management, through the promotion of maximum participation by local communities and the private sector in order to ensure food security, poverty reduction and socio-economic development. In another hand, with the GTZ's assistance, the draft sub-decree on community forestry is the result of long joint efforts among the national institutions, people living in rural areas, NGOs and IOs who have prepared, reviewed and incorporated comments given by interested parties. This draft has been finalized at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and will then be submitted to the Council of Ministers in the near future. Finally, Danida has offered assistance in the policy development, especially for Gene Conservation and Seed Handling.
2. Forest Concession Management System Reform
To ensure the sustainability of forests that are important natural resources of Cambodia, and to conserve the forest environment, from 1999 until the present, the Royal Government of Cambodia has not only stopped granting more concessions, but also canceled 15 forest concession forest investment contracts covering 22 locations with a total area of 3,001,470 ha. At the present time, there are 14 valid forest concession investment companies occupying a total area of 3,874,029 ha. In the year 2000, the MAFF (DFW) has informed these forest concession companies to prepare forest concession management plans consistent with international standards, and both parties also finished a round of renegotiating on sample forest concession investment contracts.
While the forest concession companies are preparing new forest concession management plans, a number of strengthening measures have been imposed such as: reduction of permitted timber volumes in 2000 & 2001 by 50% of Annual Allowable Cut; suspension of forest concession logging activities with effect from 01 January, 2002 until the approval of their new forest concession management plans, that answer the legal and technical requirements for the sustainable forest management, has been obtained. Moreover, in order to reduce conflicts of interest between local communities and concessionaires, the MAFF set up a commission to conduct surveys and define village, private and agricultural lands on which people are living and cropping in concession areas. As a result, a deduction of a total area of 751,968 hectares has been made for village and agricultural lands from concession forests.
The Forest Management Strategic Plans and Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) that were submitted (before the end of September 2002) by 13 forest concession companies to the DFW have been disclosed for public, particularly consulted with local communities in and nearby concession areas in 245 communes in 13 provinces (Kampong Cham, Kratie, Stung treng, Preah vihear, Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Uddor Meanchey, Battambang, Pursat, Koh Kong, Kampong Speu, Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri). These processes are consistent with the procedures for reviewing & evaluating SFMPs & ESIAs that have been developed by a mix team of national & international experts, and agreed by relevant national & international parties in the Consulting Workshop of 29 October 2002. The public disclosure on SFMPs& ESIAs has started from 11 November 2002 at the public information center in World Bank's office in Phnom Penh. The first official deadline for giving comments by the public was November 30, 2002. Later it has been extended until January 31, 2003 according to the requests by donors & NGOs. However, we have not received anymore comments yet during the extended period. On the other hand, acknowledging the technical details and complexities of the SFMPs & ESIAs limited immediate comments from communities, MAFF/DFW set up an unlimited timeframe for the community consultation process, and assigned expert teams to verify and facilitate these consultations. The teams assigned to perform these duties have been told to follow the TORs and Guidelines that are available at DFW. A primary task of the teams is to listen, find out and confirm the concerns raised by the communities. Subsequently, MAFF/DFW will order the concessionaires to integrate suitable solutions into their SFMPs & ESIAs. The consultation teams have to inform their schedules in advance, and invite relevant institutions at provincial, district and local levels. In summary, the public disclosure and community consultations on SFMPs & ESIAs have been disturbed by some NGOs, proceeded in a smooth and transparent way toward to the achievement of planned aims. The results of reviewing SFMPs & ESIAs are meeting a high quality standard.
3. Natural Resource Conservation
Along with the forest concession management reform, the RGC has paid strongest attention to biodiversity conservation, including in-situ and ex-situ conservation as well as the conservation within the forest concession areas. Surveys have been done in close collaboration with international organizations, experts and the development partners, and forests have been designated, managed, and functioned as protected forests to conserve forest genetic resources, seed supply, wildlife, bio-diversity, water sources and watershed…adding to the existing 23 protected areas established in 1993. As a result three main protected forests have been designated namely: The Central Cardamom Protected Forest (401,313 ha), Mondulkiri Protected Forest (429,438 ha), and Preah Vihear Protected Forest ((190,027 ha) to provide Cambodia with 29 protected areas covering 4.5 millions hectares which is 25% of the total land of the country. This makes Cambodia a lead nation with the highest percentage of lands under a protection and conservation system.
4. Reforestation
On 09 July 2002, the MAFF held Arbor Day in Sangkat Chhroy Changva under the highest auspices of Samdech Preah Reach Akak Mohasey Norodom Monyneath Sihanouk.
Reforestation was carried out in 979 ha of land within municipal and provincial planting stations in 2002, and people planted more than 1,268,841 trees during Arbor Day and religious ceremonies in their villages. These features are not yet included, neither are the trees that have been planted by our Royal Army Forces.
Along with this, to conserve and supply seeds for our valued & rare species, the MAFF/DFW has built capacity in the seed sector and established numerous seed and conservation stands for Neang Noun & other rare species with assistance from Cambodia Tree Seed Project, DANIDA, and seed stands of exotic & fast growing species with assistance from CSIRO.
II. Fisheries Sector
1. Fisheries Law Revision
- The process of Fisheries law revision was approved by the World Bank to select an NGO to assist and organized consultation on the draft before submitting to the MAFF for discussion. Four stakeholder’s consultation workshops have already been completely conducted including 3 regional workshops and one national workshop to get feedback and recommendations from other stakeholders. Now those comments have been incorporated in the new draft and the MAFF will discuss the draft at the end of January this year.
- Following the recommendation of the inter-ministerial meeting at the Council of Ministers, the Sub-decree on community fisheries has been recalled and redrafted into the Royal Decree on Community Fisheries Organization and will be submitted again as planned in early 2003 to the MAFF and then to Council of Ministers for consideration and approval.
- A Sub-decree on Public Enterprise for Fishery Company has already been approved and issued by the Government on 13 September 2002.
- A Sub-Decree on Leasing of inland and marine fisheries domains has undergone stakeholder’s consultation and now is under discussion within MAFF.
- MAFF already has issued proclamation on Crab Fisheries, Coral Reef and Mollusks Protection along the coastal zone and surf clam fisheries.
- A Sub-decree on establishing National Fish Day has been issued on 25 September 2002 by the Government.
- A proclamation on banning of illegal fishing gear use including electrocution, all kinds of fine-mesh fishing gears has been issued by MAFF.
- A number of Sub-decrees and prakas such as “Endangered Fish Species Protection, “Dolphinconservation”, Terrapin Conservation”; Sub-decree on fish products transportation; Royal decree of Koh Sdech protected area etc. are under preparation.
2. Administrative Reform
The Fishery Company (KAMFIMEX) has been under supervision of DoF since 1990. Since September 2002, according to the sub-decree, this Public enterprise will be under the direct supervision of the MAFF and MEF by organizing a Board of Council consisting of 5 members from relevant Ministries.
The Royal Government has issued an directive No 2018 SCN.KS date 26 December 2002 on decision to set up a Divestment committee for “KAMFIMEX “ to be completed by 2006.
3. Community Fisheries Organizations
Establishing fishing communities is the priority of the Policy reform of the Royal Government, which will strengthen good governance and devolve responsibility to local authorities. Conflicts over resource uses have been reduced; the livelihood of local people improved in many areas and natural resources replenished.
Since after fishing lot reform, the MAFF and local authorities with the assistance from various NGOs and IOs such as FAO, MRC, CZM, CCD, GTZ, CAA, CARERE, DFID etc. have organized more than 258 communities in different provinces and the process is continuing to establish 350 more. These include communities planned by ADB to establish 250 in 5 provinces around the Great Lake in 2003. Although, the Royal Decree on community fisheries organization has not been approved yet, however, this task is strongly supported by the Government for the MAFF and DoF to expectedly achieve their duties.
Recently, ADB has approved to provide a grant and soft loan of $10.9 million for the Tonle Sap Environmental Management Project. The project will improve coordination and planning for natural resources management, organization of community for natural resources management and conservation of biodiversity.
4. Inland Fisheries Research
The construction work of Inland Fisheries Research has already been completed at the end of 2002 and plans to inaugurate in February 2003. The institute will play an important role in providing outputs as a basis for the Government to flexibly adjust the management policies of natural resources. From this kind of research activities we will be able to realize the current and future evolution of the biodiversity and the impact of the related water development activities on the fisheries resources. This institute will have many things to do, but unfortunately the main resource fund from DANIDA has been reduced and this probably will affect its research activities. Now we call for any donors to support this. Recently, ADB has approved a grant of about US$ 900,000 for TA in capacity building of this Institute.
5. Biodiversity Conservation
After the reform, some parts of fishing lots were released for the fishing communities. Now we are demarcating fishing lot boundaries and community fisheries in 8 provinces that have already been demarcated by DoF with local authorities in order to have a clear map for them. On the other hand, each fishing lot has started to make inventory of inundated forests in the fishing lot areas and digging deeper ditches in important channels in fishing lot.
Samdech Prime Minister,
Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
For strengthening the management of natural resources in sustainable manner, especially on Forestry and Fisheries Sectors, I would like to inform Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, that the MAFF is implementing ongoing measures, as follows:
- Continue to extent & enforce the Forestry law and re-enforce the Order No 02 and Prakas No 01 dated 25 January 1999 of the government on the forest management and elimination of illegal forest and wildlife activities. Another Prakas N
o 06 dated 27 September 1999 on the elimination of the land encroachment activities is also been strengthened.
- Develop and adopt Sub-decrees, Prokas and all necessary regulations to facilitate enforcement of the new forestry law more effectively, especially restructure and implement the new forestry administration.
- Re-enforce the Prakas No 5721 dated 13 December 2001 issued by the MAFF on the suspension of forest exploitation in the concessions.
- Strengthen the implementation of the Sub-Decree on Concession Management and the Code of Forest Practice for Timber Harvesting in the Concessions' Operations.
- Continue to strictly review and terminate all forest concession agreements that are not in line with the Forestry Law and other regulations.
- Continue negotiation on new investment agreements with the valid concessionaires.
- To make use of the forest concession management and control pilot project for review and evaluate new management plans, which are prepared and submitted by concessionaires.
- Strengthen the genuine cooperation with neighboring countries to prevent forest crimes crossing border.
- Increase public awareness and encourage the local people to participate in the protection of forest resources and reforestation. The forestry extension program is also to be improved.
- Continue to cooperate with international experts/organizations to develop and implement the forestry and wildlife projects.
- Strengthen fisheries law enforcement and proclamation No. 02 of the Royal Government for eliminating all illegal activities in fisheries sector.
- Prepare long term policies and strategic plan for fisheries development.
- Foster the establishment of community fisheries in the provinces, where the fishing lots have been reduced for communities.
- Study on Koh Sdach area in Koh Kong province to nominate as protected area and eco-tourism.
- Demarcate Marine fisheries zones to reduce conflict among fishers.
- Take appropriate measures to reduce illegal fishing activities by using electrocution poisoning, cyanide and all kinds of fine mesh fishing gears
Finally, I would like to reiterate that the Royal Government of Cambodia is firmly committed to eliminating anarchic activities in forestry and fisheries sectors and works toward sustainable natural resource management. Therefore, the MAFF desperately needs active and concrete support, and close cooperation from the donor community, international and non-governmental Organizations.
We again express our thanks to all donor countries for their support and hope that the cooperation for the coming years will achieve fruitful outputs.
Thank you for your kind attention!
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