Image: Mr. Thouk Ret © Conor Wall /GIZ
Meet Mr. Thouk Ret and his wife Ms. Chhoeun Sim at their home in the Kuy Akphiwat village, Kampong Thom. Their land is part of a social land concession to establish residences and generate income through agriculture. As a beneficiary of the Sustainable Aquaculture and Fishery Refuges (SAFR) project – implemented on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) – the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) supported Mr. Thouk Ret in excavating a small fishpond behind his house. “When GIZ approached me and built the fishpond, I did not have any idea about fish farming”, Mr. Thouk Ret explains. “The project has provided me with training and familiarized me with basic fish culture techniques, such as preparing and stocking the fishpond, water and fish health management and record keeping”. In his 70m² pond, he is culturing 350 Tilapia, a fish that is known for its richness in protein, vitamins and minerals.
An additional benefit of the fish farming is using the nutrient rich pond water to irrigate his vegetables, which according to Mr. Thouk Ret “are growing very well”. After three months he and his wife harvested about 5.5kg of fish for their own and vegetables for both personal consumption and selling, generating USD 45 of income.
“The fishpond has started to play an important role in sustaining and improving our livelihood. […] Soon, when the fish are bigger, I can also sell some of it, as the market price for Tilapia is much better than for other fish. I plan to expand my fishpond within coming years”, stated Mr. Thouk Ret.
Like Mr. Thouk Rat experienced, the SAFR project aims to increase sustainable fish production and raise household incomes by enhancing the availability of fish, a vital nutrient source, and an essential income-generating opportunity for the food-insecure population of rural Cambodia. These objectives address the significant challenges Cambodia faces, particularly the high proportion of the rural population living at or below the poverty line due to frequent harvest and income losses caused by climate change and diminishing natural resources.
Undernourishment and malnutrition are highly prevalent, affecting 28% of all children and 20% of women aged 15 to 49. Fish, being the primary protein source in the local diet, provides a high proportion of essential micronutrients and vitamins, making it crucial in combating malnutrition and undernourishment. Additionally, the fisheries sector employs a disproportionately high percentage of the population, with around 85% of rural households in Cambodia depending on agriculture, forestry, and/or fishing. The region around the Tonle Sap Lake is especially dependent on fisheries due to its vast flood plains and seasonally inundated rice fields. Overfishing, pollution, climate change, and increasing demand for fish protein are significant challenges for the fisheries sector.
To achieve SAFR’s aims, the focus is on pond aquaculture and community-managed rice-field fisheries, also known as Community Fish Refuges (CFRs), to boost fish production and household incomes. CFRs are community-managed ponds connected to rice fields through water channels, allowing fish living in rice fields to survive dry seasons by retreating to the ponds. Additionally, the water stored in CFRs can be used to irrigate adjacent vegetable gardens and, after further treatment, supply drinking water.
Each CFR has its own locally elected Management Committee representing members of one or more villages/communities. This committee is responsible for developing a management plan detailing how and when the CFRs are to be utilized and by whom. Well-managed and well-operated CFRs have the potential to significantly increase fish production.
Are you interested in SAFRs approach and the projects implementation? To make the benefits of small-scale aquaculture and trainings for more people available, SAFR published various knowledge products, easily accessible via this link, as well as a YouTube-Playlist full of training videos.
Want to learn more about sustainable aquaculture? Visit the Website of the Global Programme sustainable fisheries and aquaculture to find more videos and knowledge products.
Author: Lukas Novaes Tump
The Global Programme “Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture” is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The aim of the programme is to increase the fish supply from sustainable and resource-friendly fisheries and aquaculture to boost healthy and diverse nutrition in Cambodia, India, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Uganda, and Zambia. Sustainable production and processing techniques are promoted along the value chain to create jobs and income, with a special focus on youths and women. Local organizations are strengthened in their capacities to carry on programme interventions on a long-term basis. Additionally, policy advice contributes to creating favourable framework conditions for the sustainable development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in the implementing countries.
