WWF-Laos began the first phase of the ‘Management and Sustainable Use of Fisheries and Aquatic Natural Resources in Siphandone’ project in 2012, funded by BMZ, HSBC, and WWF ended in June 2016. The first phase of the project was an overall success.
The project is now in its second phase, started from 2017 with the primary objective to increase and improve the stock of aquatic resources, through the establishment of fisheries co-management structures, and support the improvement of local livelihoods -- develope and provide alternative sources of livelihoods, with a special focus on aquaculture and contribute to the diversification of income of Siphandone inhabitant.
The overall objective is to contribute to the overall socio-economic development of the Lao PDR, and in particular that of Agriculture and Forestry, through the management and sustainable use of fisheries and aquatic natural resources in the Mekong River. This will be achieved through the support of effective patrolling of the river, setting up Fish Conservation Zones and Fisheries Management Committees, raising awareness of Fisheries legislation, and to support in developing alternative sources of livelihoods, including aquaculture. The project will be implemented in 20 new villages in Kong and Mounlapamok districts, Champasak province.
Read more about what the project does here
1). Continue monitoring of fish catch and occurrence. 2). Strengthen law enforcement technical capacity through training on patrolling and purchasing patrolling equipment. 3). Support the deployment of rigorous patrol teams. 4). Select and officially set up 20 Fish Conservation Zones and Village Fisheries Management Committee (FMC). 5). Build capacity for FMC through training and exchange visit within the country. 6). Develop and implement a monitoring system on FMC effectiveness. 7). Design and implement environmentally-friendly alternative income models, and 8). Set up small scale aquaculture, provide material and equipment.
Village fishery patrol teams patrol the village conservation zones, both on land and on the river. The teams protect and manage fishery conservation by using set regulations and law enforcement put in place to combat illegal fisheries. Data collection and analysis is a very important part of river patrolling because it promotes planning and future improvement for sustainable fisheries solutions.
The village patrol teams have the right to take action if they observe illegal activities surrounding fisheries in and around the project area, including monitoring the management and implementation of fisheries, inspecting the documents or permissions needed to operate commercial fishery enterprises at aquaculture sites, and overseeing the facilities used for fish farming and aquaculture. The river patrol teams can perform vehicle inspections and searches, and confiscate illegal fishing gear and other related equipment. The river patrol teams can also issue warnings, conduct arrests or surrender illegal fishermen to the police.
Providing alternative livelihood activities besides fishing for villagers who live in Siphandone - a Lower Mekong Landscape made up of many islands - was one objective of the Siphandone phase-2 project. The goal was that by the end of the project, alternative sources of income would have been developed, contributing to the income diversification of the target group. The distribution of environmentally friendly and small-scale aquaculture has been propagated and promoted by the official governmental partners and other stakeholders.
From 2017 until the end of 2019, the project supported more than 100 households in and around the project area to participate in aquaculture, covering the two districts of Khong and Mounlapamok, Champasak province.
WWF-Laos and the Department of Livestock and Fisheries, through its Fisheries Division and its office in Champasack province, are the main partner for the project implementation, and under the support and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and to conclude its activities by end of 2020.
_____________________________________________________________
From February to April 2021, WWF Laos, representatives from Champasak University, government agencies, and community members collected data on the climate impacts on the Siphandone wetland. The preliminary results of the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment developed under IUCN's Mekong WET project, found that local livelihoods, including rice cultivation, tourism, fishing, and the raising of livestock are dependent on the wetland, and recent events, such as droughts and floods, have had a severe impact on the community’s well-being.
Click HERE to read moreWWF-Laos
House No. 39, Unit 5, Chanthabouly District,
Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR. PO Box: 7871
E-mail: wwf-laos@wwf.org.la
Website: www.wwf.org.la
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wwflaosoffice
Phone: +856 21 216080
Fax: +856 21 251883
Viphou Khounthavong
Siphandone Phase 2 Project Manager
viphou.khounthavong@wwf.org.la
Pakse office, Champasak Province, Lao PDR.
Tel: +856 31 215204