Course:ECON371/UBCO2009WT1/GROUP2/Article6

Group 2

Summary

Tonle Sap，the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia faces serious threats. Cambodia, the residents of which call it the Great Lake, has had population rise rapidly and increase pressure on resources. The lake increases in size more than fivefold every year when the Mekong river experiences heavy rains. This flooding is an important part of the lake's ecosystems. Fish stocks are currently threatened by over-exploitation and illegal fishing methods. Trees, which stand in the lake when it is flooded, have been felled for domestic use by local people, some of whom have been hunting rare wildlife to compensate for smaller fish catches.

In Cambodia today, there is growing awareness that the Tonle Sap Lake and its remarkable wetland habitat must be protected— before it is too late. The Tonle Sap is among the most productive freshwater fisheries in the world and could remain as such if it is well managed. The Tonle Sap has become an environmental hotspot. Fish stocks are threatened by cutting of the flooded forest, overexploitation, and illegal fishing practice. Growing pollution and erosion of soil from the watershed are accelerating the lake’s demise. While the lake is under attack on many fronts, there are grounds for optimism. Many communities are beginning to work together to protect the lake’s resources and improve their livelihood.

What is currently being done

In recent years many communities that rely heavily on the lake have shifted their efforts to conservation. Shifting a larger part of their economy away from using the lakes resources towards protecting them and public awareness seems to be an important factor. However, even with a larger part of the local communities doing their part, large developers are attempting to develop many parts of the lake's ecosystem.

Small Fisheries as Open Access Resource

Tonle Sap, as a freshwater lake with many small communities surrounding, is even more susceptible as an open access fishery. Almost all nearby residents, in the past, relied solely on the lake as a source of food and income. It's been estimated that recently as much as a third of all protein consumed in Cambodia is from fish from Tonle Sap. As is usually the case, it is these local communities which are realizing that something needs to be done. Unfortunately, even with full support of changes from these communities, outside developers and industry have not yet changed their directives.

Need for Environmental Economics in Camboda

It is obvious that to date environmental economics does not play a heavy role in Cambodia. Industry and developers are not yet responsible for the environmental damage they cause, so the damage is not being considered economically in the decisions being made.

In order to protect this lake, and other resources like it, Cambodia's government needs to pass legislation that will protect them. Implementation of restrictions, fines, standards, and other means will cause these industries causing the damage to take into account the damage being done.

Growth of global fishing impact on overuse of Lake’s resource

Fishing has been an important activity for all of history and current statistics show that it remains so on a global scale. There has been both economically and environmentally unsustainable practices for many years, especially with new technologies allowing for bigger catches.

Countries with large fisheries in their waters need to monitor not only fishing, but the industries which impact the environment of the fishery. It is admirable when local communities make an effort to protect their region, but they need assistance from governing bodies to sway industry to take that into consideration.

Prof's Comments

A particularly large issue for this fishery, as pointed out in the article, is the potential to dam the Mai Kong river. I do think that the village protecting a pool to contribute to restocking their area was a very innovative solution.

What policies are best? Is the overfishing from the villagers, or the industrialists? The article seems to suggest that the industrialists and developers are a small factor, and the villages themselves the largest. Standards are probably not going to work very well, as enforcement will be difficult when poor people need to earn an income or just get food for their families. This is a situation where a subsidy is probably the best tool, which seems to be what the government is doing. They are paying money to support education and projects that the villagers can support.