[hepr-vn] DEVELOPMENT-CAMBODIA: Women Take to Fishing As Catches Decline

[Vern Weitzel]

Subject: [SEA-SPAN] DEVELOPMENT-CAMBODIA: Women Take to Fishing As Catches Decline
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:17:25 +0700
From: user at sea-user.org


DEVELOPMENT-CAMBODIA: Women Take to Fishing As Catches Decline
By Andrew Nette
Source: Inter Press Service

PHNOM PENH, Nov 11 (IPS) - Cambodia’s fishing industry may still be viewed as a 
male bastion, but as household fish catches decline, putting pressure on food 
security, women are rising to the challenge and becoming involved in growing 
numbers.

Just as researchers and scientists do not agree on what is behind the decline in 
fish catches, there is uncertainty over the extent of women’s growing 
participation in the sector and whether this is a desirable trend.

"The reality is that women have been deeply involved in fisheries for a long 
time in this country, from catching, to processing, to cooking fish," said Mak 
Sithirith, executive director of Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT), an 
organisation working with local communities on Cambodia’s Tonle Sap lake.

"Although I do not have the figures to back it up, I am certain that women are 
gradually becoming more and more involved in the fisheries sector," said 
Sithirith, whose organisation recently organised a day-long seminar in Phnom 
Penh on women in fisheries.

"For women it is a catch-22 situation. If they do not go with their husbands 
they cannot guarantee food security because the husband cannot catch enough 
fish. But if they do take part it increases the burden of labour on them."

The role being played by women in fisheries mirrors broader changes in Cambodian 
society, which have seen an increase in women’s involvement in all sectors of 
the economy, formal and non-formal.

According to figures released this year by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, 
Cambodia’s female labor force participation rate is high by regional standards, 
at over 71 percent of the working age population over 15 years of age.

This is partly the result of a decade-long decline in household fish captures, a 
vital food security issue given that fish account for 75 percent of protein 
consumed in Cambodia -- 90 percent in fishing communities.

"Most people still think that fishing is done by men and that only men have the 
skills to use the equipment required. But as fish catches decline many more 
people are needed to catch the same amount," said Tep Chansothea, a researcher 
with the Community Based Natural Resource Management Learning Institute (CBNRM).

"More effort is required for the same output. Women are thus being called on to 
help in areas that they were not involved in many years ago."

"Household fish captures are definitely going down," according to Eric Baran, 
research scientist with the World Fish Centre in Phnom Penh. "This is not 
necessarily because the stock is collapsing."

"Put simply, there are more and more people sharing the catch, meaning a reduced 
catch per person,’’

The composition of the catch is also changing: less larger, high value fish and 
more small fish sensitive to annual variations, making for less predictable hauls.

Observers believe many factors are behind the decline in household fish 
captures, in addition to rising population levels. These include an increase in 
illegal fishing equipment, lax enforcement of fisheries regulations, clearing of 
flooded forest, and rising pollution levels.

The government has no figures for how many women are involved in the fishing 
industry in Cambodia. Women have always worked in the sector, although 
traditionally in so-called ‘post-harvest’ activities such as drying, processing 
and selling fish.

Over 102 different types of fishing gear have been identified as being used in 
Cambodia, according to Baran, and different equipment has traditionally been 
used by men and women.

"A possible change in the involvement of women in fisheries has yet to be 
assessed and remains an area where research is urgently needed," he said.

As fisheries decline and women do not have alternative livelihood strategies, 
they increasingly assist their husbands in new areas, whether it is classifying 
and organising the catch in the boat or actual fishing.

The results of a yet unreleased research project about the status of women in 
community fisheries in six Cambodian provinces, by CBNRM, World Fish Centre and 
the Fisheries Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 
also point in this direction.

It found women play an important role in household fisheries activities and the 
management of community fisheries, particularly in inland or floodplains fisheries.

Just as there is no agreement as to the exact extent of women’s role in 
fisheries, there are different views as to whether it is a positive or negative 
development.

"There are certainly some clear benefits from women being more involved in 
community fisheries," agreed Yumiko Kura, Mekong programme coordinator for World 
Fish Centre and one of the study’s researchers.

"Women are generally seen as better at managing the money that is generated. 
They are better at information dissemination and education activities,’’ Kura 
said. "They play an important role in explaining to their husbands and others 
why they should not use illegal fishing gear and getting them to give this up. 
If men do this it often ends in violence."

There are also significant downsides of women being involved in what is widely 
viewed as a tough, dangerous and dirty industry.

"Their involvement in fisheries means that women have even more work," said 
Sithirith. "They are expected to take care of the family at the same time as 
helping the husband fish.’’

"Certainly there are negative impacts," said Chang Kim Hong, a fisher in a 
floating village in central Kompong Tom province who attended the FACT meeting.

"It has an impact on their health because women have to work even more. It can 
also be dangerous depending on the type of fishing. Because they often lack 
experience they cannot identify the onset of major storms or winds exposing them 
to even greater risks."

"The more time women spend fishing, the further they may have to travel," she 
said. "This means that older children must sometimes stay home to look after 
things when they should be at school."

At a broader level there is also debate about whether it is desirable for women 
to become more involved in fisheries, given the uncertain returns from the industry.

"At a global level moving away from fisheries is a major policy push on the part 
of many government and global institutions," said Baran. "Twenty years ago these 
same organisations were pushing for more people to get involved in fishing. Now 
it is the other way around because stocks are being progressively overfished."

"One of the major policy pushes is to find a way out of fisheries for the 
benefit of fishers and fish,’’ Baran added.

"Fishing is one of the few cash-making options for many families, so they are 
not going to give it up, particularly in heavily flooded areas were there are no 
other options to generate income for large parts of the year," countered Chansothea.

Given this, many organisations are beginning to look at what policy changes are 
needed to support women in fisheries sector. "At the policy level the role of 
women in fisheries is not clear," said FACT’s Sithirith.

"The government’s view is that men are still the key players, women have no 
voice. There is an urgent need to develop women’s networks in the fishing 
industry. By doing this, women can connect and speak collectively. Otherwise 
they will remain isolated,’’ Sithirith said.