Review of Fisheries Management and Development in Large Hydropower Reservoirs of Lao PDR

(Case Study of Nam Ngum 1)

Mr. Sommano Phounsavath, Director, Division of Fisheries, Department of Livestock and Fisheries, Lao PDR

MRC Regional Workshop Fish and Hydropower: Research on Fish Passage Through Large Dams and Review of Existing Knowledge on the Effectiveness and Economics of Fish-friendly Turbines and

its Applicability to Mekong Mainstream Dams in the Mekong Region Vientiane, Lao PDR, 16-17 June 2015

Presentation Outline

1. General information about Nam Ngum;

2. Overview of previous fisheries management and development at Nam Ngum;

3. Problems and constraints in fisheries management at Nam Ngum;

4. Strategies for fisheries management and development at Nam Ngum;

5. Conclusions and Recommendations.

Nam Ngum 1969 (Joel Halpern)

Historical Background of Nam Ngum

First pre-impoundment study has been carried by the Interim Mekong Committee in year 1969;

Pantulu (1969) noted that no important commercial fisheries exploitation existed above or below the dam site on the Nam Ngum river;

Post-impoundment studies have been conducted since dam closure by various institutions (Smithsonian Institute, 1975; Interim Committee, 1982, 1984, 1989, 1993; Burapha development consultants, 1992; Mekong Secretariat, 1993; Jacob, 1995; MRC/FP, 1995-2004).

Reservoir area 477 km2

Mean depth 19 m

Shoreline length 430 km

Catchment area 8,460 km2

Construction 1968 / 1971

Hydropower capacity

110 MW

Water storage 700 x 106 m3

Storage level 212 m (asl)

Conductivity 100 µS cm-1

General Information about Nam Ngum

Population: 16,658

Local fishers: 3,437

Full-time fishers: 1,597

Average catch: 0.5 kg/net/night (gillnet)

Fish production (1998): 6,833 Tons (value 6 million USD)

Avg. fish production: 18.7 Tons/day

Avg. yield: 143 kg/ha/year

55 Fish species

Fish consumption: 60 kg/person/year

General Information about Nam Ngum

Project Organization Years Objectives

1. Development and Management of Fisheries in Nam Ngum Reservoir

Mekong Committee

(Netherlands)

1978-83 Implementing specific pilot development project in the Nam Ngum reservoir in order to evolve basinwide strategy for management and development of reservoir fisheries

2. Development of Fishermen Communities in the Nam Ngum Basin (Phase I)

Mekong Committee

(Switzerland)

1988-90 Improvement of socio-economic condition of pilot fishing communities and sustainable development of reservoir fisheries

3. Development of Fishermen Communities in the Nam Ngum Basin (Phase II)

Mekong Committee

(Switzerland)

1991-92

(Same as above)

Previous Implemented Projects on Fisheries Management and Development at Nam Ngum

Project Organization Years Objectives

4. Management of Reservoir Fisheries in the Lower Mekong Basin (Phase I)

Mekong Committee

(Denmark)

1995-98 Sustainable high yield of reservoir fisheries under local community agreement with government

5. Management of Reservoir Fisheries in the Lower Mekong Basin (Phase II)

Mekong Committee

(Denmark)

1999-2003

Sustainable high yield of reservoir fisheries under local community agreement with government

6. Support on Fish Processing

FAO 2000-2003

Support to local fishing communities to develop fish processing activities

7. Pilot study on right-based fisheries and co-management

SEAFDEC 2008-2011

Support to local fishing communities and local govt. on promotion of small-scale fisheries management

Previous Implemented and On-going Projects on Fisheries Management and Development at Nam Ngum

Nam Ngum Fisheries Regulations No 567/AF (MAF, 1995) - 39 articles

Part 1 General principles on the management of fishing activities in the Nam Ngum reservoir Part 2 Rules for fishing activities in the Nam Ngum reservoir Part 3 Delineation of wild life and environment reserves Part 4 Protected fish species and reptiles in the Nam Ngum reservoir and Nam Song estuary Part 5 Restrictions Part 6 Purchase and sale of fish in the Nam Ngum reservoir Part 7 Fishing fees in the Nam Ngum reservoir Part 8 Fines Part 9 Implementation

Nam Ngum Fisheries Regulations No 567/AF (MAF, 1995) - 39 articles

The main important fishing regulations: • Fishing gear restrictions, • Protected fish species, • Closed areas and season, • Fishing license, fees and fines, and • Regulation on leasing right (fish marketing concession).

The restricted fishing gears are: dynamites, shot guns, poison, electro-fishing devices, harpoons, spears, beach seine, drag nets and gears of all mesh size lower than five centimeters. The protected fish species are: Pangasius gigas, Pangasius sanitwongsei, Pangasius hyphothalmus, Probarbus jullieni, Wallagonia miostoma, and also some types of aquatic animals such as the soft-shelled turtle (Amyda sp.). Fish sanctuaries (Nam Ngum, Nam Xong, Nam Tou and Nam San). - Nam Ngum estuary (Kaeng Noi)- permanent closed and conservation area for the whole period of year, when the three other rivers are closed only during the fish spawning season from May to September of each year.

Nam Ngum Reservoir Fisheries Management Center

Fish Conservation Zones at Nam Ngum Reservoir

Keng Noi (Nam Ngum River) 350 ha, 7 km

Nam San 50 ha Nam Kae 5 ha

Nam Tou 30 ha Nam Xi 3 ha

Nam Xong 10 ha Nam Pad 2 ha

Seng Savang

Xai Udom

Keng Noi

Phonsavath

Pha Koup

477 km2

Nam Ngum River

Nam Leuk

Nam Xong N

Nam Xan River

Indigenous fish species of Nam Ngum reservoir

Indigenous fish species of Nam Ngum reservoir

Indigenous fish species of Nam Ngum reservoir

Economic fish species of Nam Ngum reservoir

Problems and constraints in fisheries management and development at Nam Ngum

During the period from 1979 to 1983, the government encouraged the creation of several villages into fishing cooperatives.

However, the cooperatives were not very successful because of poor organization, lack of experience in cooperative setup, lack of services to support fishers such as credit, fishing craft and gear and poor marketing system.

Only eight villages, from a total of 31 villages, participated in the establishment of seven fishing cooperatives (Mekong Committee, 1984).

Fisheries management zones at Nam Ngum (1979-1983)

Problems and constraints in fisheries management and development at Nam Ngum

• In 1987 - new resettlement programs; • Villagers from the former cooperatives

who were mostly full-time fishers were requested to resettle into new determined settlement areas, which were planned to be established as new fishing cooperatives;

• The new settlement areas, were Ban Xai Oudom village and Ban Phonsavad

• In 1988, the Project for Development of Fishermen Communities in the Nam Ngum Reservoir (funded by the Swiss Government), attempted to re-organize these as the main centers for fish collection in the reservoir in order to re-organize fish collection, transportation and marketing of fish;

• Both fishing cooperatives were ceased in few years after the end of the project.

Xai Oudom

Phonsavad

Pakeo drying at Ban Xai Oudom

Problems and constraints in fisheries management and development at Nam Ngum

The lessons to be learned from the past failures of fishing cooperatives and previous attempts of fishers organization in the Nam Ngum reservoir could be tentatively classified into the following main issues:

1. Lack of priority strategies for community development; 2. Low level of participation from local fishers; 3. Need a legal framework and incentives for the organization of fishers; 4. Failure to establish self-sustaining fishing cooperatives; 5. Changing practices of controlling fish market, fish prices and taxation

system by the local provincial authorities; 6. Lack of investment into basic infrastructure and facilities for local fishing

communities.

Strategies for Fisheries Management and Development at Nam Ngum

The Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office (PAFO) of Vientiane Province has developed the following five-year strategic plan (2011-2015) for the overall management and development of the Nam Ngum reservoir:

1. Management of fisheries; 2. Management of conservation areas for aquatic animals and wildlife; 3. Establishment of village network for fisheries management and

extension; 4. Conservation and reproduction of endangered indigenous fish species; 5. Promotion of fish processing products; 6. Fish culture extension (fish culture in cage / pen); 7. Reduction of shifting cultivation through livelihood alternatives; 8. Protection of bank erosion and environment; 9. Monitoring / data collection on the ecological changes of the reservoir

limnology.

Conclusions and Recommendations

• Fisheries management should be an essential part of any overall development framework in the Nam Ngum reservoir;

• There should be a long-term master plan for the management and development of fisheries for the Nam Ngum reservoir;

• Participation of local fishing communities and local authorities are necessary for the successful and sustainable management of the fisheries in the Nam Ngum reservoir;

• All the natural resources (water resources, aquatic animals, wildlife, forest, etc.) that are existing in the Nam Ngum reservoir have great importance at the local as well as the national level;

• Fish surveys and fisheries monitoring combined with hydrological and water quality monitoring should form a necessary baseline for water resources development in the Nam Ngum reservoir and lead to the formulation of management / mitigation measures for appropriate reservoir management planning.

Thank You for Your Attention!