Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) completed a two-year project in Kampong Chhnang and Kampong Thom provinces that created 20 fishing communities and directly influenced the lives of more than 75,000 Cambodians.
Bunh Rith, head of the Development Project of Sustainable and Inclusive Fisheries and Livelihoods in the Tonle Sap Region (SIFAL), said the project included input from local communities, regional authorities, wildlife experts, private companies, civil society and fishery officials.
“In the 20 communities, we created 20 preserved locations, which is about 183.6ha. We held over 300 activities in cooperation with local authorities to produce the results for the fishing communities,” Bunh said.
Yeng Morng, the committee head of Ko village in Kampong Thom, said that the VSO project, improved fish-processing methods, which in turn increased the price of the villages’ catch.
“In two years, our community changed a lot and we now have poultry and fish farming,” he said.
And Ton Lim, a community representative from Kampong Thom province, said: “We can catch more fish and process fish into other products such as dried fish and smoked fish that can be sold.”
