Sixty participants representing fishing communities, civil society organizations (CSOs) and governments in the Mekong region (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar), along with 17 representatives from regional and international organizations, participated in the Regional Workshop on Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the Lower Mekong Region from 30 April to 1 May, 2016, at the Sampran Riverside Hotel, Nakorn Pathom, Thailand.
They identified issues of concern to small-scale fishing communities in the region and proposed action points for the consideration of relevant government departments, regional bodies such as the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), other relevant national, bilateral and multilateral bodies and civil society, as appropriate.
The Mekong River yields about 4 mn tonnes of large and small fish, and fish that migrate upstream from the sea to spawn. This estimate goes up to 8 mn tonnes if all Mekong wetland fish production is taken into account. The entire fisheries in the Mekong River can be termed small-scale. The riversecond only to Amazon in terms of biodiversity is home to many endemic species. Thirty-two of these species are on the IUCN Red List.
Various development projects on Mekong and its tributaries, particularly a large number of upstream hydroelectric projects, are negatively impacting downstream aquatic biodiversity, life cycle of fish, feeding and nursery areas, water quality and the river basin ecosystem (comprising rivers, floodplains, lakes, coastal mangroves, ponds, coastal lagoons, etc.).
The Mekong River is shared between six countries. A regional framework for co-operation is required between the riparian States, particularly the downstream countries, towards addressing the above issues at the regional, national and local levels. The 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (UNWC) may be relevant as a regional legal framework also to look at transboundary issues related to fish. Vietnam has ratified the Convention and Thailand is considering the same.
In coastal areas, the displacement of small-scale fishing communities due to the construction of deep-sea fishing ports and coal-fired power plants and the practice of destructive bottom trawling are threats facing small-scale marine fishing communities. These are further exacerbated by insecure tenure rights to housing of small-scale fishing communities. The consent of communities is rarely sought while bringing infrastructure projects to the region.
Although nearly 50 per cent of people working in small-scale fisheries are women, their role in the sector is still severely under-acknowledged. Inequalities persist which hamper the full realization of human rights and sustainable development. Women are under-represented when it comes to decision-making and leadership roles even within fisher peoples’ organizations.
The importance of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) for both inland and marine small-scale fisheries in the Lower Mekong River Basin countries was recognized in the above background: (i) to bring about better governance reforms in relation to small-scale marine and inland fisheries, especially to facilitate unhindered and equitable access to fisheries resources for small-scale fishing communities; (ii) to eradicate hunger and poverty; (iii) to invest in social development and decent work; (iv) to adopt measures for long-term conservation and sustainable use of fisheries resources; (v) to promote alternative livelihoods; (vi) to protect tenure rights to land and water; and (vii) to valorise domestic economies dependent on small-scale farming and fishing operations within and outside the region. The SSF Guidelines can assist in setting priorities in sustainable and responsible use of fisheries as well as to strengthen initiatives to set principles and standards for regulating activities impacting small-scale fishing communities in the river basin ecosystem.
The Workshop recommended several action points to redefine the development paradigm in the Lower Mekong River Basin to promote sustainable and equitable marine and inland fisheries in the region, and to protect small-scale fishers, farmers and indigenous peoples from infrastructure and industrial projects that negatively impact their access to land, fisheries and markets.
These action points dealt with governance of tenure in small-scale fisheries and resource management; social development; value chains, post-harvest and trade; and disaster risks and climate change.
The Workshop urged the development of laws and regulations that apply a human-rights-based approach, an ecosystem approach and a gender-sensitive approach.
The proposed development of the Southeast Asian Regional Approach in the Implementation of the SSF Guidelines, including processes for monitoring and evaluation in June 2016 by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), was welcomed by the participants. It was proposed that the recommendations from this Workshop, including the action points, should be integrated into its outcome. It was suggested that CSOs should be part of the design process of such an approach.
The full text of the Thailand workshop statement, SSF Guidelines in Action, can be accessed at https://sites.google.com/site/ssfguidelines/thailand/statement