Spain supports Cambodian aquaculture

One of northeast Cambodia’s poorest regions is receiving support from Spain as part of a gender-sensitive aquaculture development program.

Exercising women’s rights in Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Kratie and Stung Treng provinces, the EUR 272,330 (USD 387,502) project, which launched this year, aims to increase aquaculture production and marketing through strategic planning over a four-year period. The focus is currently on freshwater cultivation of tilapia, catfish, common carp, Indian carp, silver carp and silver barb.

Amagoia-Olatz Labarga, project coordinator of Spanish NGO AIDA (Help, Exchange and Development) explained: “The cooperation is defined as implementing a strategy of equal integration of men and women in all phases of aquaculture production in these four provinces for the expansion and development of the sector, which is coherent and sustainable, following the identification of high potential areas of production and trade in these provinces.”

She added that, to date, Cambodia has capitalized on the experience gained and materials developed throughout all phases of the program, with special attention to optimizing production quality and the equitable integration of men and women.

The project, titled “Mainstreaming gender issues in aquaculture production and access to quality fish for sustainable development,” is supported by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development and Cambodia’s Aquaculture Development Department. Last year, the groups worked with 405 families; this year more than 160 others have joined with another 12 working specifically on hatchery fry activities.

Emphasizing her role in bringing visibility to Cambodian women’s work as fish farmers, Labarga said: “At this stage we are working on all aspects of gender in aquaculture and the empowerment of women, at government level as well as with outreach programs and working with farmers on the ground.”

Labarga argued that the role of women in Cambodian society varies by region in a largely rural society, with 80 percent living in non-urban areas. “We believe that women are the hands of all primary production in some areas where they are more visible, in other areas less so,” she concluded.

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