Fisheries activities in Stung Treng rovince, Cambodia by Chea Vannaren Chief of Fisheries Office / Data Supervisor of the MRC/DoF/Danida Fishery roject in Cambodia, Stung Treng rovince 1. Introduction Stung Treng province is located in the northeastern part of Cambodia close to the Lao DR. The province is covered by forest, rice fields and rivers and there are about 77.000 people. The Mekong river passes this province first as it flows through Cambodia. In Stung Treng town, the Mekong meets the Sekong river which has two more tributaries: Sesan and Srepok. These are upland rivers with deep pools, rapids and inundated forest, and do not provide a good situation for transportation and fishing, but are important for fish spawning. About 90% of the people live along the four rivers and depend on fishing for their daily food. Fish is a very importance part of the diet of the people here. There is no fishing lot in Stung Treng. The fishing domain is open access, except for the poolsreservation places. asee: Mekongina erythrospila an endemic fish species - is the pride of the people and the symbol of Stung Treng province. Fish production of the province was about 500 tons in 1997, or about 0.2% of the total freshwater fish catch of the whole country. It is thought to be an under-estimate. 2. Fisheries ecosystem The Sekong, Sesan, Srepok and other upland rivers have deep pools, rapids, flow through flood forest and have a low silt content, resulting in transparent blue water. (see Figure 18) ools are found in all streams in the province. They are the places where fish hide in the dry season. In the Mekong from Stung Treng town to the Kratie border there are 14 pools that are 1-2 km long and 15-50 m deep. Most freshwater fish species that occur in other provinces, are also found in Stung Treng and include some species such as: Bangana behri, Mekongina erythrospila, Osphronemus exodon, Osphhronemus gouramy, Bagarius yarrelli, Mystus wyckioides, Wallago leeri, robarbus jullieni, Catlocapio siamensis, angasianodon gigas, angasius djambal, angasius larnaudiei, Chitala blanci, robarbus jullieni, Micronema apogon, Boesemania microlepis, etc. (see Figure 20) 3. Fisheries activities According to the Cambodian fisheries law, fishing gears are classified in three types: Large scale, Middle scale and Family scale. Most fishing gears in Stung Treng province are Family scale. The fishing gears in Stung Treng province in 1998/99 are shown as follows. 54
Table 9: Fishing gears in Stung Treng No. Gear type Operated duration Quantities 1 Mong <50 Full year 751 2 Mong 50-70 Full year 1,384 3 Mong 70> Full year 1,016 4 Lop June-October 808 5 Saiyoen June-October 304 6 Samnanh <30mm Full year 2,177 7 Samnanh >30mm Full year 987 8 Santouch Full year 1,471 Units* 9 Chann July-October 1,975 10 aong March-October 93 11 Tom March-October 642 12 Uon January-May 13 * 1 Unit = 100 hooks Some of the fishing gears, such as Chann (see Figure 19), Lop, Saiyoen, aong and Tom have been used by local fishermen for a long time. They are operated in the flood season. Lop and Saiyoen in this province are much different from those used in other provinces, they are very big. aong and Tom are the simple fishing gears that easily catch small fish species. Chann is a traditional fishing gear, but is not included in the proclamation of the ministry of Agriculture. It is easy to operate for catching big commercially important fish species. The fish catch production by these gears from March to November 1998 is shown in table 10, page 62. Because of the characteristics of the rivers in Stung Treng, there are a lot of illegal fishing activities. From 1990-97 about 8,000 incidents of fishing with explosives took place throughout the rivers in most of the province each year. These infractions have occurred for nearly twenty years. Electro fishing gear is operated only in the last four years and activities increase from year to year. It is difficult for the authorities to suppress it because it is operated at night. Fishing with these two types of illegal gears are a major reason that the fisheries in Stung Treng have declined. Other reasons are fishing in the closed season, a large increase in the use of nylon gillnets, fishing in pools using big mesh size (gillnets (25-35 cm). Fishing infraction activities occur especially in southern Stung Treng, in the Siembok district, a region with a lot of big pools. In 1998,16 village fisheries communities were created and the people were trained on fisheries understanding. Fishing infraction activities reduced, but soldiers and some people of these villages still disobey the community fisheries regulations. 4. Fisheries management The fishery authority of Stung Treng has an office located in Stung Treng town. There are 7 officers and an engine boat. Fishery officers who control fisheries activities must be assisted by the local authorities to help to suppress fisheries infraction and have requested them to become involved in fisheries conservation. The persons who crackdown on infractions are given receive incentives. Fishery Officers go directly into the field to teach the people about the importance of fisheries resources and the problem of fish stock decreases. The leaders of all districts, communes, district police, provincial police and soldiers are invited to participate in the provincial level seminar on fisheries management. 55
The MRC roject for the Management of the Freshwater Capture Fisheries of Cambodia expanded its activities to Stung Treng province last year to carry out fish catch assessment, fishing gear frame survey, fish landing survey and capacity strengthening of the fishery officers. Deep river pools provide a good spawning habitat for a lot of fish species in the dry season. In 1989, the proclamation of the Agriculture Ministry claimed that pools in the Mekong river are protected places. This proclamation was not made known to the villagers, so they continued fishing in the pool areas. Now with the help of the NGO, CAA, awareness of the conservation function of the pools is raised among these villagers, especially focussing on stopping the use of explosives. Fisheries Community Committees were established in 16 villages and each adopted its own set of regulations for managing the fisheries resources in their traditional fishing area. Fisheries management needs to ensure community participation for fisheries resource conservation. 5. roblems in fisheries management - Lack of officers. - Lack of transportation. - Lake of funds to suppress fishing infraction. - Some of the armed forces men have no discipline, and cause a lot of fishing infractions. 6. Future concern If the illegal fishing activities are not eliminated, in the near future fisheries resource in Stung Treng province will be damaged. This will result in a decrease of the fisheries of Cambodia, because here is the source of fish spawning that provides fingerlings in downstream areas. Moreover, the provincial leaders confirmed that in the future there will be hydropower dam construction at the confluence of the Sesan and Srepok rivers. To mention only fisheries, it will have an impact on fish migration, destroy the fisheries ecosystem and spawning grounds, especially Mekongina erythrospila will suffer because the dam will block its migration route. Then the pride of the people of Stung Treng province will be lost. 7. Discussion and conclusions The fisheries recourse in Stung Treng is enough to support the people in this province and also the main part of the country which is provided by seed and fingerlings from Stung Treng. Although sometimes the fish supply to market is not sufficient, cage culture - especially in the closed season - provides the shortfall. According to the survey, we found that people in this province are very concerned about the gradual fish decline and they also attend to protect their fish recourses. The management of fisheries in Stung Treng is important for food security of the people and especially the destiny of Cambodia's Fisheries. In order to achieve these we have some recommendations: Fisheries domain of this province should be considered as the conservation area for fish spawning and only family fishing can be allowed. Fisheries officers should train in extension. All illegal fishing activities, especially the use of explosives and electric fishing, must be completely stopped. Officers have to inform the people at the village, commune, district, school, pagoda and military units about the importance of our fisheries resources. The fishery law and the judicial system should be improved. 56
Table 10: The catch (kg) by species by month in Stung Treng rovince, March - November 1998 No Khmer name Scientific name Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Total % 1 CHHIN Barbodes gonionotus (pg 95) 15,667 12,630 17,082 2,920 1,173 3,107 8,155 2,998 16,066 79,798 13.53% 2 KAEK Morulius chrysophekadion (pg 155) 22,353 12,037 22,692 152 157 600 1,233 2,584 411 62,219 10.55% 3 RIEL Henicorhynchus spp. (3, pg 111) 13,645 5,916 10,145 17,817 1,012 1,223 753 1,934 504 52,949 8.98% 4 AVA 9,579 8,254 17,817 577 2,473 373 13,664 52,737 8.94% 5 KHYA Mystus wyckioides (pg 144) 5,830 1,532 1,689 2,849 6,731 5,123 6,671 6,487 3,803 40,715 6.90% 6 CHHKOK Cyclocheilichthys enoplos (pg 88) 8,442 5,050 3,834 1,382 2,117 2,366 2,423 6,097 2,336 34,047 5.77% 7 LINH Thynnichthys thynnoides (pg 105) 2,204 1,827 4,733 11,211 872 1,199 107 3,706 308 26,167 4.44% 8 X-OTHERS Other species 9,176 1,063 9,235 742 619 792 1,376 493 1,249 24,745 4.20% 9 RA angasius hypophthalmus/sp.(4, pg 152) 6,185 4,661 4,432 4,596 141 478 137 430 621 21,681 3.68% 10 SLOEUK RUSSEY aralaubica typus (7, pg 67) 4,760 922 6,101 3,033 315 1,288 975 1,076 976 19,446 3.30% 11 CHHLANG Mystus nemurus (pg 143) 1,442 1,663 758 5,295 700 1,261 2,330 2,069 3,623 19,141 3.25% 62 12 CHRA KENG untioplites proctozysron (7, pg 93) 273 1,855 383 21 707 1,226 13,141 444 18,050 3.06% 13 ASEE Mekongina erythrospila (pg 122) 2,142 1,926 7,431 129 1,758 4,048 17,434 2.96% 14 KRAY Chitala ornata (3, pg 56) 5,792 929 56 168 206 492 1,427 3,863 814 13,747 2.33% 15 TRANEL Mystus filamentus (pg 141) 5,151 2,023 554 455 2,241 408 1,603 578 243 13,256 2.25% 16 KHMAN Hampala dispar (2, pg 101) 5,327 5,459 30 173 504 54 106 11,653 1.98% 17 KRORBEY Bagarius bagarius (5, pg160) 5,719 300 7 62 247 110 1,187 2,413 933 10,978 1.86% 18 ARCH KOK Dangila spilopleura (pg 110) 2,500 453 2,130 1,053 1,234 192 869 915 1,564 10,910 1.85% 19 KES Micronema spp.(3, pg148 71 485 200 2,586 1,977 641 2,216 1,315 819 10,310 1.75% 62
20 KE angasius conchophilus (pg 154) 2,027 1,669 299 4,890 1,163 10,048 1.70% 21 ROMEAS Osphronemus exodon (pg 218) 5,098 914 73 374 464 718 53 7,694 1.30% 63 22 O angasius larnaudiei (pg 155) 144 60 653 512 801 1,540 1,066 4,776 0.81% 23 CHEK TUM Bagrichthys macropterus (2, pg 139) 3,338 1,140 181 4,659 0.79% 24 KHLANG HAI Belodontichthys dinema (pg 145) 1,064 329 667 450 903 453 287 252 4,405 0.75% 25 KANH CHOS Mystus spp.(11, pg 141) 5 2,943 461 513 81 4,003 0.68% 26 KAOK Arius caelatus (15, pg 164) 554 232 1 261 45 398 473 259 52 2,275 0.39% 27 SANDAI Wallago attu (pg 151) 370 93 1,169 476 2,108 0.36% 28 ANDAT CHHKE Achiroides leucorhynchos (13,pg 221) 160 178 520 1,247 2,105 0.36% 29 TRASORK robarbus labeamajor (pg 84) 691 5 69 90 13 1,002 1,870 0.32% 30 CHHVEAT angasius siamensis/spp.(4, pg 155) 232 384 39 5 35 214 119 415 1,443 0.24% 31 THMOR 521 816 1,337 0.23% 32 RAMA Boesemania microlepis (pg 188) 39 61 1,009 1,109 0.19% 33 CHHDOR/ DIE Channa micropeltes (pg 220) 655 69 724 0.12% 34 AMBONG Channa micropeltes (pg 220) 199 231 101 531 0.09% 35 KAMBUT CHRAMOS Sikukia gudgeri (pg 94) 39 133 172 0.03% 36 KHCHEOUNG Macrognathus taeniagaster ( pg 179) 48 9 80 33 170 0.03% 37 TA AUN/KROR MOM Ompok hypophthalmus (4, pg 149) 20 136 156 0.03% 38 ROS/ TUOK Channa marulius (pg 219) 30 123 153 0.03% Total 134,869 72,213 110,311 58,442 28,991 26,472 37,826 62,946 57,651 589,721 100% 63
Figure 18: Map of migration patterns, dynamite use and planned dams in North East Cambodia LAO DR 10 Viet Nam 11 Sekong River Sesan River Mekong River 3 6 10 10 6 12 Ratanakiri 5 64 11 6 Banlung Stung Treng Kratie 10 Mondulkiri Srepok River 10 LEGEND : National boundary : rovincial boundary : rovincial capital : River : Deep ools : Dynamite use : lanned dams : Illegal fishing barrage : Dry season migration : Rainy season migration : Month of migration 64
Figure 19: CHAN, a traditional fishing gear, used only in Kratie and Stung Treng rovince (Upper Mekong River). 65
Figure 20: Endemic species available only in Stung Treng rovince (Upper Mekong), Cambodia Osphronemus exodon, (Roberts, 1994) Bangana behri, (Fowler, 1937) Gyrinocheihus pennocki, (Fowler, 1937) 66 Labeo erythropterus (Valenciennes, 1842) Mekongina erythrospila (Fowler, 1937) Cosmochilus harmandi (Sauvage, 1878) 66