17 06 2009 : :

National Workshop On understanding Fisheries & Livelihoods in Cambodia and the Proposed Don Sahong Dam in Laos

June 16, 2009 at National Institute of Education, Phnom Penh: Organized by The Rivers Coalition in Cambodia (RCC) in collboration with Fishery Administration (FiA)

Background and Issue Facing Fisheries:

The Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake supports one of the world’s largest inland fisheries, with an economic value at more than $3 billion annually .  Fisheries in the Tonle Sap Lake as well as in the Mekong River play a vital role in terms of food security and livelihoods for the vast majority of people living in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.  The four countries fisheries are interconnected through its fisheries and its fish migration routes.  Each dry season, fish from the Tonle Sap Lake migrate through the upstream areas of the Mekong River in Laos and Thailand and then travel downstream to Vietnam. In the wet season, fish migrate back from Mekong River into the Tonle Sap, in order to breed and grow, as the lake provides good habitat and is rich in fish nutrients.

As water diversion projects and dams have the potential to significantly alter the river’s hydrology and fisheries, there has been growing concern among government officials and civil society representatives on the recent renewed interest in building hydropower dams on the Mekong River’s mainstream and the potential impacts these dams may have on Cambodia’s fisheries, food security and economy.  The 360 MW Don Sahong dam located in Laos near the Laos-Cambodian border in Champasak Province, is one of eleven projects being studied and planned for the lower stretches of the Mekong.  This proposed project raises serious concerns about the impacts this dam will have on fisheries, especially as it will block the main migration channel of fish in the Mekong River, which will contribute to the current problem of declining fish catches in the lower Mekong, particularly in the Tonle Sap.

While a project agreement for this dam was signed on February 13, 2008 between the Lao government and a Malaysian company called Mega First Corporation Berhad, information surrounding this dam remains extremely limited. Cambodian communities, civil society organizations and some government agencies have yet to be fully informed about the construction of this dam and its potential impacts on Cambodia’s fisheries.  

The 1995 Mekong Agreement signed by the four lower Mekong countries recognizes the importance of fisheries for the Mekong people and the need to cooperate and promote sustainable management of the Mekong River.  According to procedures established as part of the agreement, Mekong countries must follow the procedures for notification, prior consultation and agreement for any proposed development activity on the Mekong’s mainstream (MRC Agreement, 1995).   Regional consultation on the Don Sahong dam has yet to occur despite the need to begin sharing information on the project and its potential impacts to the sustainability of the river’s fisheries. 

For these reasons mentioned above, the Rivers Coalition in Cambodia (RCC) in collaboration with Fishery Administration (FiA) will organize a national workshop to bring together fishery scientists, government agencies, NGOs and communities in order to discuss the importance of the Mekong River and the challenges facing fisheries and livelihoods from the Don Sahong dam. The main objective of this workshop will be to share information and increase awareness on the Don Sahong dam and its potential impacts to the country’s fisheries and livelihoods.

Objectives:

1.    To increase information sharing and knowledge on the importance of fisheries to food security and the economy in Cambodia; and
2.    To share information among government agencies, donors, NGOs and communities on the proposed Don Sahong hydropower dam and its potential impacts on fishery and local people, especially to women in rural communities.

Expected Output:

• NGOs, affected communities and government agencies will better understand the potential impacts that the Don Sahong dam will have on fisheries and the Tonle Sap Lake through presentations by scientists and activists working on hydropower dams, livelihoods and fisheries issues;
• Key stakeholders will have increased understanding of the importance of fisheries to food security and livelihoods in Cambodia and understand the potential impact that the Don Sahong dam will have on these issues;
• Key stakeholders will have increased knowledge and be able to more actively participate in any future consultations on the Don Sahong dam;
• Affected Communities will be able to raise some of their concerns regarding to Don Sahong hydropower and its impact on their livelihoods;
• Government officials will have a better understanding of the concerns of local communities especially women, will share these concerns with top level decision-makers.