World Food Policy Volume/Issue 2-2/3-1 Fall 2015/Spring 2016 | Page 18

Food Security in Rural Cambodia and Fishing in the Mekong in the Light of Declining Fish Stocks

we demonstrate that fishers faced less
seasonal food insecurity in the past year.
Furthermore, we show that fishing plays
an even bigger role in the difference
of nutrition between fishers and nonfishers in this income percentile than in
the whole sample. Against these findings,
we conclude that without subsequent
adjustments of former fishers, a loss of fish
stocks will lead to a permanent reduction
in the food security of fishing households
that is greater than the reduction felt
by non-fishers. However, as fish is also
an important component in the diet of
non-fishing households, they will be
affected by a reduced, more expensive
supply of fish as well. Particularly poorer
households who fish will feel the negative
effects of fish stock decline as they may
face more food insecurity across the year
because their diets are most dependent
on fish.

For poorer households fishing is
especially important as it is associated
with reduced seasonal food insecurity
and a lower gap in proteins and calories
consumed in comparison to the whole
population. Another important aspect
is that fishing households rely more on
subsistence activities and have less cash
income than non-fishing households.

In the light of these findings
the fact that fish stocks in the Mekong
river system are expected to decline is
alarming. This article clearly shows the
importance of fish for the overall food
security of fishing households in the
area. Less fish and less catch will lead to
decreasing levels of protein, calorie and
micronutrient intake. Because fishing
households have less cash income and
rely more on subsistence activities, there
will be a need to adjust agricultural
production or increase activities earning
cash income to replace the nutrients
foregone from fishing. Furthermore,
the poorer the household the more
important fishing is to prevent seasonal
food insecurity and the greater the
role which fishing plays in nutrition.
We conclude that households which
go fishing are especially vulnerable to
changes in the ecosystem of the river and
need to develop alternative sources of
income as fish stocks decline.
One
of
these
alternative
sources may be aquaculture. However,
aquaculture is not an easy remedy. The
poor, who benefit disproportionally
from small-scale fishing, have more
difficulties in investing into aquaculture.
Furthermore, the large species produced
may not replace the diverse micronutrients
provided by small fish because they are
not eaten as a whole, including the bones

Conclusion

C

onsidering the importance of
small-scale fishing for rural
livelihood outcomes in Cambodia
and the expected decline of fish stocks in
the Mekong River we asked how much
fishing actually influences the diets of
fishers in comparison to non-fishers,
whether fish is of greater importance in
the food security of poorer households
than in others, and what the other typical
income-earning strategies of fishing
households are. The results from our
descriptive analysis show that fishers
enjoy a more nutritious diet than nonfishers. A large part of their protein
intake is related to fish consumption.
Nevertheless, fish is also an essential
component in the diets of non-fishers.
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