Mekong Delta: Building fisheries research capacity for the benefit of people

	Every year during the rainy season, floods in Cambodia submerge vast areas of forests and paddy fields. Three-quarters of the freshwater species in the Lower Mekong Basin migrate to these flooded areas to spawn, feed and grow. Fisheries research is key to achieving balanced development.

International efforts to develop fisheries research capacity in Cambodia received a boost with the founding of a new research institute, the Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute (IFReDI) in Phnom Penh. The WorldFish Center, in partnership with the Government of Cambodia, Asian Development Bank and Danida helped set up the new institution which is charged with developing a long-term aquatic resource management strategy for the Mekong region.

"IFReDI is born in both exciting and challenging times," said Meryl J. Williams, Director General, The WorldFish Center. "We are honored to be involved in helping make the Cambodian vision for a fisheries institute a reality." In June, The WorldFish Center opened an office in Phnom Penh to set up and develop the research program of IFReDI.

The Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake create a vast freshwater system covering 1.8 million hectares — the world’s fourth largest inland fishery. Every year during the rainy season, floods in Cambodia submerge vast areas of forests and paddy fields. Three-quarters of the freshwater species in the Lower Mekong Basin migrate to these flooded areas to spawn, feed, and grow.

Fisheries play a key role in the lives and livelihoods of poor people who live in the region. Cambodia’s inland fisheries produce an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 tons of fish annually, with a value of up to $500 million. Yet for many landless families in Cambodia, the average daily income from fishing is only about $1.80 and even less from the sale of aquatic plants ($ 0.97).
The new research institution has a key role to play. Its mission is to compile and analyze information, including data for the management of Cambodia’s inland fishery resources. In addition, IFReDI aims to provide socio-economic and institutional support for the sustainable development of living aquatic resources. Research leading to a better understanding of the value of aquatic resources to the livelihoods of the poor is essential and helps policy-makers design and choose appropriate strategies for sustainable management of fisheries.

For more information, visit www.worldfishcenter.org