Cambodia: fishing without dynamite

The communities along the Tonle Sap Lake live with and from the water. Yet the traditional way of life in the catchment are of the Mekong is in danger. The ecosystem is suffering from the consequences of dam building, the discharge of wastewater and the increased use of industrial fishing methods. In many areas, dynamite fishing has become widespread. This underwater clear cutting has had disastrous effects.

The largest lake in Southeast Asia is a paradise of biodiversity and provides humans with an abundance of food. It is the most bountiful fishing lake in the world, including more than 200 fish species, 13 turtles and 23 kinds of snakes.

In order to keep things that way, the Global Nature Fund (GNF) and the Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT) have initiated an on-site project to promote sustainable fishing and ecotourism on the Tonle Sap. Fifty locals who make a living from fishing, the majority of them women, have become involved in the introduction of sustainable natural resource practices. This group is now returning to traditional forms of fishing that include the use of fish cages. Another factor that can help the sustainable use of the water is ecotourism, which offers women especially an alternative form of income.

The Global Nature Fund is an international foundation focussing on the environment. They are located on Lake Constance in southern Germany and work in close partnership with the Deutsche Umwelthilfe. The focus of the GNF is on creating the worldwide network known as Living Lakes.