Cambodian fisheries officials attain Vietnam lessons, experience

Cambodia has learned lessons and achieved experience in fisheries from Vietnam via a visit to the south on Oct. 20-24 by a government delegation of nine high-level officials, the delegation chief said.

Mr. Nao Thuok, general director of the Fisheries Administration, Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, told Sai Gon Giai Phong that his delegation learned about how to properly manage a fish landing.

Mr. Nao Thuok (L) and two other Cambodian officials (1st, 2nd R) look at a hatchery at the National Breeding Center for Southern Marine Aquaculture in Vung Tau Oct. 23 (Photo: Tuong Thuy)

“Cambodia has not managed fish landing appropriately,” he said.

The delegation chief added the nine-member mission gained more experience in culture of such fish as snakehead, catfish, tilapia, and prawns.

He said pond, pen and cage culture of fish was seen in Vietnam’s Mekong provinces while pen culture was new in his country.

The delegates, who are from the Cambodian Fisheries Administration, said it was the first high-level visit since the former Fisheries Department was re-established with Vietnamese assistance in 1979.

In Tien Giang Province, the delegation visited the My Tho Fish Landing for marine species such as tuna and mackerel, catfish ponds in Cho Gao District, tilapia net pens and cages in My Tho City, and a small-scale snakehead cage farm and hatchery in Tan Phuoc District.

In neighboring Ben Tre Province, the visitors came to see a clam field and shrimp farm in Binh Dai District and a catfish processing plant in Chau Thanh District. Experience gained from Ben Tre included the community management of the clam field, which comprised protection of the field from thieves.

They then visited pomfret, grouper and cobia cages on the Cha Va River, and the National Breeding Center for Southern Marine Aquaculture in Vung Tau City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

The Cambodian delegation visit a floating farm on Cha Va River, Vung Tau, on Oct. 23 (Photo: Tuong Thuy)

During the working trip, the Cambodian officials took note about a fact that Vietnam has adapted foreign aquaculture techniques to local conditions. They also noted about the breeding, nursing and grow-out techniques.

The delegation chief, Mr. Nao Thuok, told Sai Gon Giai Phong that he expected more knowledge and experience exchange trips to Vietnam for Cambodian fisheries officials.

This visit took place as part of regional cooperation activities under the Technical Advisory Body on Fisheries Management of the Mekong River Commission Fisheries Program.

According to Cambodian statistics, the country’s overall fisheries production amounted to about 471,000 tons last year. Cambodia now has an estimated 1.4 million full-time fishermen and about 6 million people engaged in related activities and part-time fishing.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, in his National Fish Day speech he delivered on July 1, 2009, said that Cambodia's fisheries sector was accompanied by limited knowledge of modern fisheries technologies and limited public awareness of the importance of natural resources.