Watershed Vol

Watershed Vol.8 No.1 July – October 2002: Sense of Commons

Declaration of Fishers of the Mekong River Basin

May 1, 2002

Introduction

From 29 April to 1 May 2002, representatives of fishing communities in the countries of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam met in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to convene the Regional Conference of Fishers of the Mekong River Basin.

On 1 May 2002, the Regional Conference of Fishers of the Mekong River Basin adopted the following Declaration.

Section I

We, representatives of fishing communities, share the fisheries, rivers, wetlands and forests of the Mekong River Basin, including the Tonle Sap Lake of Cambodia.

We share a commitment to using, managing and conserving the natural fisheries of the Mekong River Basin according to the knowledge, practices and potentials of our communities.

We consider the natural fisheries, rivers, forests and fields of the Mekong River Basin to be our major sources of food and income, and as the foundation for the development of our communities and societies. We agree that development must not damage or harm these resources.

Most of all, we assert that it is the people of all local communities who have the right to decide how our rivers, forests and lands are used, managed and conserved. We accept the responsibility of this right not only for our benefit, and the benefit of our children and their children, but for the benefit of the societies of which we are a part.

We appreciate those efforts of our friends and colleagues in nongovernmental organisations, academic and research institutions, and government agencies that support our management and conservation of the fisheries and other natural resources of our communities and of the Mekong River Basin.

Section II

The above being our common understanding, we are very concerned about the following:

The natural fisheries of the Mekong River Basin are rapidly declining. We are catching smaller amounts of fish, we must work harder and longer to catch fish, and the fish we do catch are smaller, compared to only 10 to 20 years ago.

We assert that these declines are because of a number of factors:

ท Deforestation is causing changes in the way our rivers flow by increasing erosion and causing increased sedimentation. These changes affect the quality of the water in the rivers and the Tonle Sap Lake of the Mekong Basin. These changes have a negative impact on the fisheries and our communities.

ท We are very concerned about increasing chemical and other pollution from factories and industries. We are very concerned about the increasingly widespread use of chemicals on agricultural crops, particularly rice and other food crops. These chemicals have a negative impact on the fisheries and on the health of our communities.

ท Destructive fishing methods and fishing gears are being used by a very few people but are depriving families and communities of access to our fisheries. Of particular concern are the fishing concessions on the Tonle Sap Lake that unsustainably harvest fish from many important fishing grounds. These concessions also harvest fish from areas that are important as a source of food and for the reproduction of fish; these areas include seasonally flooded forest around the Tonle Sap Lake. We note that these concessions are controlled by influential and powerful people. We also note that the use of destructive methods of fishing such as the use of explosives, chemicals, and electricity, must be restricted and eliminated as soon as possible.

ท We note with special concern the severe, immediate and long-term negative impacts of hydroelectric and irrigation dams on the rivers, fisheries and communities of the Mekong River Basin. There are numerous examples of the impacts of dams on communities in every country of the Mekong Region. We understand the impacts of dams affect the fisheries of all people in all communities living everywhere in the Mekong Basin because the natural fisheries of the Mekong are the main source of food for all of us. Many of these dams have been built without research and studies about the many impacts that would occur when these dams are built, and without recognising the rights of communities to be informed of these impacts and to decide whether they are willing to accept – or to not accept – the impacts that affect them when these dams are built.

Section III

As representatives of fishing communities of the Mekong River Basin, we propose the following so as to begin a process of solving these problems and to prevent problems in the future.

ท Many communities in the Mekong River Basin have established community management systems for their fisheries and other natural resources. These systems are based on the knowledge and wisdom that the people of these communities have developed over generations. Many other communities are beginning to establish these management systems. The rights of local communities to manage and conserve their fisheries and other natural resources needs to be recognised by the governments of the Mekong Region. In partnership with these communities, governments should formulate policies that support the management and conservation of the Mekong Basin’s natural fisheries by communities.

ท We also understand that many aspects of the natural fisheries and natural resources of the Mekong River Basin have not been adequately studied. We propose that scientists should study the fisheries and environment of the Mekong Region so that we can share knowledge and support the efforts by communities and governments to manage the fisheries and other natural resources of the Mekong River Basin.

These proposals are based on our discussions and our exchange of experience between representatives of local communities during this Regional Conference of Fishers of the Mekong River Basin. All of our communities need to actively engage with each other to form networks based on friendship, respect and exchange of knowledge and experiences. These networks may extend across the borders of countries in the Mekong Region and the objectives of these community networks is to promote the sustainable use and conservation of the fisheries and natural resources of all the people of the Mekong Basin.

Together, we are working in a long-term process to conserve the fisheries and rivers of the Mekong River Basin for our communities and our countries.

However, there are urgent issues that need to be immediately addressed. Many of us feel compelled to express our deeply-felt concerns about recent and on-going development projects on the mainstream of the upper Mekong River. There is very little information available about these projects, as well as many other proposed projects in the Mekong River Basin. We call upon our respective governments to provide all communities potentially affected by these projects with the necessary information so that these communities can join with their governments in making informed decisions regarding these projects.

We, representatives of fishing communities involved in the Regional Conference of Fishers of the Mekong River Basin, convey our warmest regards to all fishing communities in the Mekong River Basin, and to the respected governments of the countries of the Mekong Region.