The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has kicked off training to build fisheries stakeholder capacity in the management of fisheries, while improving the livelihoods of coastal community fisheries.

On November 16, FAO launched training for Fisheries Administration officials and other fisheries stakeholders, aiming to improve the livelihoods of coastal community fisheries.

In addition, it aims to build stakeholder capacity in the management of fisheries which in the long-term supports the protection and rehabilitation of fish resources and habitats.

Training sessions will take place in Kep province on November 16 and 17, and in Kampot province on November 21 and 23.. They will engage with 60 representatives from Phnom Penh and the coastal provinces.

Buoy Roitana, Deputy Director General of the Fisheries Administration, said that controlling the quantity of fish that can be taken by fishing is essential for ensuring sustainable use.

Additionally, bringing stakeholders together is part of the process to promote knowledge and acceptance of the need for everyone to contribute to designing and implementing solutions, he added.

“Working together with a common goal will strengthen efforts to reduce practices and activities that have negative impacts on fishery resources, habitats, and profitability,” Roitana said.

Phen Bunthoeun, Technical Advisor of Marine Fisheries Management at FAO, said that the training is being organized to help management level within FiA, cantonment, inspectorates, and community fisheries to understand the mechanisms that can be used to manage marine fisheries resources.

“It is conceived as an interactive workshop with many group and role play exercises to enable stakeholders and key actors to apply techniques, creating more stable and predictable conditions of fish stock,” he said.

In 2021, the development of a marine fisheries management plan was initiated with funding from the EU under FAO Complementary Support to the Cambodia Programme for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in the Fisheries Sector (CAPFISH-Capture). Additionally, it is one of the largest EU-supported fisheries programs in the world.