Empowering Cambodia’s Community Fisheries through Sustainable Financing

A crucial challenge has emerged for community fisheries in Cambodia is securing sustainable financing. Oxfam, in collaboration with the Fisheries Administration (FiA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), stepped up to address this pressing issue.

Over the course of a three-and-a-half-day training workshop, 36 representatives from community fisheries (CFi) in Ratanakiri, Kratie, and Stung Treng provinces, along with fisheries officials and FAO experts, came together to explore the concept and significance of sustainable financing.

Through interactive sessions and field visits to successful CFi initiatives supported by the Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund (CEPF), the participants gained invaluable insights. They not only learned about various financing sources but also had the opportunity to develop tailored sustainable financing plans for their own communities.

One CFi, Serey Mongkul Trapaing Chres, was identified as a pilot site to implement sustainable financing strategies. This community’s success will serve as a shining example, inspiring others to follow suit. Charity box is one of strategies.

Since March 2024 when the box was created, this community could mobilize 500,000 Riels ($125) that have been used to support conservation activities such as patrolling, flooded forest plantation and developing its community ecotourism site to attract visitors and awareness raising.

Oxfam, FiA, and FAO are committed to providing support and mentorship to ensure the effective implementation of the sustainable financing plans. Furthermore, the lessons learned from this transformative workshop will be documented and shared with other communities, NGOs, development partners, and the Fisheries Administration, amplifying the impact across the sector.
As part of joint monitoring and collaboration between Oxfam and FiA, on June 28, 2024, Oxfam and 3SPN hosted a joint project monitoring visit by senior Fisheries Administration officials in Ratanakiri, Cambodia. The team observed fishery conservation areas, community-based ecotourism, and climate-smart aquaculture under the Community Based Fisheries Management Project funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund.

The officials emphasized the importance of co-management and community participation in sustainable fisheries stewardship. They praised the initiative’s potential to develop community-based ecotourism as a source of sustainable financing for fisheries conservation. This collaborative effort demonstrates a strong commitment to protecting aquatic resources and ecosystems in the Sesan and Srepok rivers, empowering local fishing communities as the custodians of their natural wealth.