16th National Fish Day held on 01st July 2018 at Kaksin Angkor Wat Temple, Trapaing Ses Village, Sangkat Kokchok, Siem Reap City which is the wonderful land of our glorious homeland for the purposes of encouraging people’s participation to be aware of significance of the fisheries resources and also to participate in the preservation and conservation of indigenous fisheries species, especially the endangered fisheries species and other conservation of biodiversity to ensure the sustainable fisheries resources management that will support livelihood, food security and poverty reduction. In that event, over one million fish mothers were released into water of Kaksin Angkor Wat Temple for the benefits of Cambodian’s people. Fishery Administration reported to date, there are 516 community fisheries established, of which 475 are from the inland community fisheries and 41 are from the marine community fisheries. In addition, fisheries conservation areas were established in 644 areas in the whole country, of which 594 are under the community fisheries and 50 are under the new state conservation areas. There are 864 community fish refuge established around the country and 97 deep pools were protected in the upper Mekong Region. With community fisheries and fisheries conservation areas data, Mr Tek Vannara, Executive Director of the NGO FORUM on Cambodia hope that all community fisheries and conservation areas are well manage and protect by having good cooperation and active participation from all stakeholder for the benefits of fish spawning, fish mother, biodiversity conservation to contributes economic, social and environmental sustainability, especially sustainable livelihood of Cambodian’s People. Moreover, executive director of the NGOF mentioned that to ensure sustainable management of fisheries community, we needs all stakeholder more active in encouraging and supports to community fishery committee includes management and leadership capacity, will, good model, especially in providing more supports on technical , materials and financial resources to community which ensure they have enough capacity and ability to make effective management on fisheries resources in their community.
