Program Title:
Follow-up Program of the Special 5-year Program on the contribution of Sustainable Fisheries to Food Security in the ASEAN region.

Project Title:
Information Gathering for Inland Capture Fisheries in the Asean countries.

Lead Department: MFRDMD
Lead Country: Cambodia

Team Members
a. Resource persons/ core expert from each ASEAN member countries except for Singapore.
b. Researchers of MFRDMD.
c. SEAFDEC Secretariat, Bangkok.
d. SEAFDEC Traing Department, Samutprakarn.
e. Researchers of FRI, Penang, MACRES and KUSTEM.

Duration : 2002-2005

Definition
1. Inland water
A body of water confined to freshwater only such as lakes, rivers, reservoirs/dam, floodplains, swamp, marshes, lagoon, irrigation canal, channel, tributaries, spring, stream, drainage, ex-mining pools.

2. Inland Fisheries
Fishing operation in inland waters

3. Capture Fisheries
Use of fishing gears for catching fish(excluding aquaculture)

4. Information
Knowledge that includes data on fishery, biology, environment and socio-economy of the community concerned.
Try to collect as much information on what, where, how and who

Justification
Inland capture fisheries are characteristised by great varieties of fishing gears and methods used, types of environments, social amd culturrally complex societies. Due to these complexities, it has been difficult in establishing and compiling good quality information that is very beneficial for policy makers and administrators in managing sustainable development of inland fisheries resources. Presently, most informationon inland capture fisheries in Southeast Asia are still scanty, fragmented, poorly reported and of insignificant importance as compared to the established system in the data collection of marine capture fisheries.

The estimates of production from inland capture fisheries are not based upon direct observations, report verification and elaborate sampling procedure of catch or landings. Fishing activities are mostly dispersed and this further elevates difficulty in obtaining accurate estimates of production. Moreover, the current information collected on inland capture fisheries does not provide adequate information for addressing, monitoring or managing issues that related to rural livelihoods. But, the rural communities heavily depended upon inland fisheries resources in sustaining their livelihoods.

The maintenance of fish stocks in the rivers, lakes or reservoirs depends on many factors external to the fishery. Given the increasing pressures on water for users other than fisheries, a balance has to be struck between the requirements for fishermen and those of other users. Management of fishery, whether for its enhancement or even for the distribution of its benefit, is based on knowledge of the stock available at present. Therefore, more effort needs to be addressed in compiling amd gathering accurate information on inland capture fisheries and use these information to formulate suitable action plans for sustainable management of the inland fisheries resources.

Project Objecttives
1. To strengthen collection and compilation of information for inland capture fisheries in ASEAN member countries.
2. To gather as much information on inland capture fisheries and act as basis for future plan of action for sustainable management of inland fisheries resources.
3. To promote information exchanges on inland capture fisheries among ASEAN member countries through networking.
4. To establish standard format of data entry and collection of data.

Proposed Projects
1. Regional Projects.
2. Pilot Projects.

Regional Projects: Four projects (2003-2005)
1. Compilation on Fishing Gears and Methods used in inland capture fisheries of ASEAN member countries (Nine countries).
2. Compilation on list of species and scientific biological information on commercial species caught in the inland waters of ASEAN member countries.
3. Compilation on environmental conditions on inland areas of ASEAN member countries.
4. Compilations on socio-economic information of inland capture fisheries in ASEAN member countries.