Local Fish Yields On The Rise

By
on
Freshwater and marine fish yields increased slightly during the first half of the year, with illegal fishing activity waning as a result of official crackdowns. Yields of freshwater and marine fish increased slightly during the first half of the year. KT/Chor Sokunthea From January to June, freshwater fish yields reached 167,950 tonnes, 380 tonnes more than during the same period last year. Marine fish yields rose by 350 tonnes reaching a total of 57,800 tonnes. Production in fish farms saw stronger growth, reaching 112,846 tonnes, an increase of 18,808 tonnes. Exports of fresh fish products rose by 80 tonnes, reaching a total of 5,460 tonnes, while shipments of processed fish products increased by 30 tonnes to 3,250 tonnes, according to the report. The European Union recently announced that it will provide $83 million in aid to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries for the sustainable development of the fisheries sector in Cambodia. The money will be used to implement CAPFISH-Capture, a project that aims to help the Cambodian government make the sector resilient to climate change. As part of the programme, farmers will be trained on fish farming techniques and on processing fish. Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon said earlier this month that the CAPFISH-Capture will “contribute to the sustainable development of the fisheries sector, benefit stakeholders, and help reduce illegal fishing activities.” Cambodia’s inland fish catch is largely exported to Singapore, Malaysia, and China while marine fish harvests are mostly exported to Thailand and Vietnam. According to the report, 1,321 illegal fishing operations were detected and stopped during the first half of the year, which amounts to 126 fewer crackdowns than during the first half of 2018. This article was originally published in the Khmer Times.