B. Analysis of Key Problems and Opportunities

B. Analysis of Key Problems and Opportunities24

13. Analysis of key problems and opportunities reveals that: (i) natural resource management coordination and planning for the TSBR is weak; (ii) communities that have been designated as key players are not organized for natural resource management in the TSBR; and (iii) management capacity for biodiversity conservation in the TSBR is inadequate (Appendix 3).

1. Fish Stocks and Habitats

14. Incomplete and fragmented data has hidden the decline of inland fisheries. Still, estimates of annual fish catches have improved since 1998 because of Danish International Development Agency and Mekong River Commission assistance to DOF. Total catch may not be falling due to the ever-increasing fishing effort (though the catch per fisher is). However, the share of large and medium-size, higher-value fish has declined because of the longer time such fish need to reach maturity; intensive fishing; and inadequate regulation of fishing techniques and gear. Thus, a higher proportion of the total catch now comprises small fish used for fishmeal and fermented fish paste production. Crucially, in addition to the irresponsible fishing techniques used, the flooded forest that provides breeding and feeding grounds for all fish and much of the lake's primary productivity is being destroyed. The flooded forest originally covered more than 1 million ha; it had shrunk to about 610,000 ha by the 1960s and now covers only about 362,000 ha (much of which consists of shrubland and secondary scrub with few trees). Although clearing and dry season burning for agricultural purposes is significant, the main problem is firewood collection for both domestic use and local industries.25

15. The Tonle Sap is most likely being exploited beyond sustainable limits. Further deterioration may have unpredictable consequences because capture fisheries do not usually decline at regular linear rates; they can collapse suddenly due to irreversible damage to parts of the ecosystem or overfishing. Such a collapse would have serious social and welfare consequences: fish provides most of the protein in the diet of Cambodians and its sales supplement income for the purchase of rice, especially in times of distress brought about by drought, pest outbreaks, or floods.26 Many of the large indigenous species of fish such as the giant Mekong River catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) and aquatic mammals such as the Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) are already endangered. Also, collection of eggs and chicks aggravates the threat to several species of waterfowl of global significance.27 The impact of introduced exotic species such as giant mimosa (Mimosa pigra), water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), and some carps on the native flora and fauna of the Tonle Sap is unknown; however, their potential threat should be researched.

2. Natural Resource Management Coordination and Planning

16. Policy on natural resource management has emphasized sectoral priorities, but interministerial coordination is weak. The existing framework shows many problems including overlapping mandates, uneven implementation, inadequate monitoring and enforcement,

24 See also Feast or Famine? Solutions to Cambodia's Fisheries Conflicts. 2001. A Report by the Fisheries Action

Coalition Team in Collaboration with the Environmental Justice Foundation. 25 Firewood and charcoal remain the main source of energy for up to 97% of households nationally, particularly in the rural areas. The demand for firewood and charcoal is predicted to grow. The Cambodia Fuelwood Saving Project in

Kompong Chhnang, funded by the Food and Agriculture of the United Nations (FAO), demonstrated that efficiency improvements of up to 50% are attainable through improved design of cooking stoves.26 Rice is a feature of the Cambodian diet. Fishers need 5–7 kg of fish to buy 1 kg of rice. 27 Estimates of the numbers taken annually reach many thousands.