Tonlesap Program

Building up Assembly of the Cambodian Fishers around Tonle Sap: Cambodian fisheries and fishing communities have suffered through many years of over-exploitation,accelerating environmental degradation and escalating conflicts between stakeholders. This has in part resulted from a lack of fisher organizations, little political space, and weak civil society.

 To maximize benefit from the fisheries reform in 2000, this program aims at building the network of fishermen and developing the capacities of the key fishers in order to build a strong grassroots institution or “Assembly of the Cambodian Fishers” that will work towards sustainable fisheries management and represent themselves at a national policy level. Given this ways, we hope fully that the

fishermen will completely release their debts from traders/money lenders. FACT believes that the fishers should speak for themselves, through their own body or organization and is working towards establishing a community based organization (CBO) named the Cambodian Coalition of Fishers (CCF). The capacity and membership of this organization is presently being built through regular meetings and trainings. CCF has developed by-laws and an organizational structure, and is registered with the Ministry of Interior. CCF will separate from FACT in 2006, with FACT adopting the role of technical advisor. Project Building Coalition of Cambodian Fishers: The representative organizations of the fishers acquire the necessary capacities to represent their members, to defend their rights and to participate in the decision-making processes. Project promote governance in the fishing communities in Tonle Sap: The representative organizations of the fishers have ability in working closely with Commune Council in order to protect natural resources in their local area.