Cambodian Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

CAMCODE: CAMBODIAN CODE OF CONDUCT FOR RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES Unofficial Translation KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA NATION RELIGION KING THE STRATEGIC PLANNING FRAMEWORK FOR FISHERIES: 2010 – 2019 VOLUME 3 FISHERIES ADMINISTRATION © 2011 Fisheries Administration, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Cambodia Citation: FiA (2011). The Cambodian Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The Fisheries Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Phnom Penh. I FOREWORD F isheries are essential to the well-being and prosperity of the people and nation of Cambodia. They provide a vital source of food, employment, recreation, trade, and economic growth and they will continue to do so in the future. It is therefore essential that all of us work to ensure that they are responsibly and sustainably managed and exploited, for the benefit of current and future generations. The Law on Fisheries and its associated regulatory framework make clear what all participants in the fisheries sector must (and must not) do in order to achieve this. But it is not the purpose of the law to give guidance on how we should best achieve these requirements: that is the role of agreed guiding principles and shared best practice. The Cambodian Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries – known asCamCode – contains these guidelines and best practice principles for the use of all stakeholders in the fisheries sector in Cambodia. Camcode supports the implementation of the 10-year Strategic Planning Framework, SPF, which sets out the Vision, Goals and Targets for fisheries development. CamCode is an integral part of taking the FiA’s plans forward, and forms Volume III of the SPF. It is not mandatory: there is no legal requirement to follow it and there are no legal penalties for not doing so. Rather, CamCode sets out principles, based on international standards of behavior, for responsible practices with a view to ensuring the effective conservation, management and development of living aquatic resources, with due respect for the ecosystem and for biodiversity. CamCode recognises the nutritional, economic, social, environmental and cultural importance of fisheries, and the interests of all those concerned with the fisheries sector. The overall objective of CamCode is therefore to establish principles, in accordance with the relevant rules of Cambodian and international law, for responsible fishing and fisheries activities, taking into account all their relevant biological, technological, economic, social, environmental and commercial aspects. All those involved in the fisheries of Cambodia are therefore encouraged to apply CamCode in order to implement the fundamental principles contained within the Royal Government’s vision for the sector. These are: 1 To ensure people’s food security, including quality and safety; 2 To improve people’s livelihoods; 3 To enhance the nation’s prosperity; and 4 To do this sustainably. Dr. Nao Thuok Delegate of the Royal Government of Cambodia Director General of Fisheries Administration CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries CONTENTS Foreword ........................................................................................................................................................ I Table of cotents ...............................................................................................................................................II Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................... III List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................... IV Introduction to CamCode .............................................................................................................................V The Origins of Camcode ............................................................................................................................... VI CamCode .................................................................................................................................................... VII How to use Camcode .....................................................................................................................................IX Section 1. Nature and Scope of CamCode ....................................................................................................... 1 Section 2. The Objectives of the CamCode ......................................................................................................3 Section 3. Relationship with other National and International Laws and Policies ..............................................4 Section 4. Implementation, Monitoring and Updating ......................................................................................5 Section 5. General Principles ............................................................................................................................ 7 Section 6. Policy-Making and Planning for the Sector ....................................................................................10 Section 7. Transparency, Accountability and Harmonisation within the Sector ...............................................13 Section 8. Partnerships in the Development of Fisheries ..................................................................................15 Section 9. Involvement of Different Stakeholder Groups .................................................................................16 Section 10. Employment Conditions in the Sector ..........................................................................................19 Section 11. Environmental Protection .............................................................................................................22 Section 12. Management of Resources ...........................................................................................................27 Section 13. Fishing Operations ......................................................................................................................32 Section 14. Aquaculture Development ............................................................................................................33 Section 15. Post-Harvest Fisheries ..................................................................................................................37 Section 16. Ancillary Industries .......................................................................................................................42 Section 17. Integration of Fisheries with other development activities ............................................................44 Section 18. Fisheries Knowledge Management and Research ..........................................................................45 ANNEX 1: Using Camcode for Policy-Making and Planning ........................................................................48 ANNEX 2: Donors and Camcode ..................................................................................................................50 ANNEX 3: Explanation of Technical Term used in CamCode ........................................................................52 IICamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS T he Cambodian Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CamCode) is the product of the effort of many people over a number of years. In particular, the commitment of the members of the Technical Working Group on Fisheries (TWGF), freely given, provided invaluable technical assistance in the drafting of CamCode. CamCode went through several drafts and was commented on by many members of the FiA staff. It was also presented to a number of regional workshops across Cambodia to gain from the experience and knowledge of the many fisheries field staff. Development partners were also encouraged to comment on CamCode in its various drafts, and many engaged with the process of CamCode’s evolution through the TWGF. The process of implementing CamCode could not have happened without the financial support and commitment of Danida (Denmark), DFID (UK) and NZaid (New Zealand) who funded the work throughout. The work of developing CamCode was inspired by the FAO’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the global efforts of FAO in supporting the move towards more enlightened use of the world’s fish resources was an example for the development of CamCode. Likewise the efforts of SEAFDEC to regionalise the FAO Code have provided much useful information. IVIII CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries CCRF Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species COFI Committee on Fisheries (of FAO) FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation FDAP Fisheries Development Action Plan FiA Fisheries Administration IPPR Integrated Policy, Planning and Review Process IUU Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fisheries MAFF Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries NGO Non-Governmental Organisation SEAFDEC South East Asia Fisheries Development Centre SPF Strategic Planning Framework TWGF Technical Working Group on Fisheries UN United Nations WTO World Trade Organisation LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS IVIII CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries INTRODUCTION TO CAMCODE T he fisheries sector in Cambodia is a key contributor to the livelihoods of the rural poor, food security and nutrition, employment, foreign exchange and economic growth. The plants, animals and habitats that make up the aquatic environment are an important part of Cambodia’s natural heritage. There is considerable potential to expand these contributions through better management of the aquatic environment, improved transboundary resource and environmental management, more sustainable harvesting practices, the continued transfer of rights to the poor, enhancement and rehabilitation of the environment and of the aquatic resources, the expansion of aquaculture and rice field fisheries, improving post-harvest activities, making markets and service provision work for the poor, and building capacities of different stakeholder groups to take up these opportunities. If these are put into place then the sector can continue to expand its contribution to the nation’s development over future decades. The Fisheries Administration (FiA) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has already started upon the significant task of policy and institutional reforms that is needed to facilitate the achievement of this potential. In particular, the FiA has drafted a 10-year Strategic Planning Framework, SPF, which sets out its Vision, Goals and Targets in order to maximise the potential of Cambodia’s fisheries. This CamCode is an integral part of implementing the SPF, and is published as Volume 3 of the SPF. However, FiA recognises that it cannot achieve the potential of the sector on its own, it needs to work in partnership with the other development institutions in government, civil society, the private sector and the donor community to achieve this. It is clear that there are many participants in the sector often with different aims, objectives, strategies and approaches to the development process. These differences can add up to a conflicting, overlapping, contradictory, inefficient and ineffective development process. A state which nobody has planned nor wants. FiA has starting to understand these institutional conflicts and is taking the lead to address them. The Cambodian Code of Conduct for Responsibility – CamCode - is a key part of this process. It aims to provide a set of principles and guidance that all development partners operating in the fisheries sector can agree to and use to inform the approaches and strategies that they adopt in the development, conservation and management of the sector. VI VIV CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries I n response to the growing pressure on global fisheries resources, the international community acknowledged that there was a need for the widespread introduction of more responsible practices if the benefits from fisheries are to be available for future generations. In 1995 the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) was unanimously adopted by the FAO Conference. The CCRF was developed at the global level to provide objectives, principles and best practice for fisheries development within and between nations. Achieving consensus was a major step forwards in international cooperation, and one which has provided a valuable framework for collaboration for more than a decade. Whilst the CCRF is intended to inform and influence all participants in the fisheries sector, its guidance is mainly directed at States. Because of its global application it is also fairly general guidance. To address some of these limitations, States in the Southeast Asian region have been working together to regionalise the CCRF to give it more relevance locally. As part of its commitment to the values of the CCRF, Cambodia’s FiA implemented a self-assessment of the application of the CCRF in Cambodia. While much of the CCRF was applicable to the local situation it was recognised that the unique situation of Cambodian fisheries and its importance to the economy, natural heritage, culture and livelihoods of the people, that a code specifically designed for Cambodia would unite the development partners in the country around a common set of principles and ideals. VIV THE ORIGINS OF CAMCODE CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries CAMCODE C am Code, was developed in response to the needs and potential of the fisheries sector locally with in the very special and specific context of Cambodia. CamCode is an agreed set of general principles and guidelines that the different people, institutions and groups involved in the development, management and conservation of fisheries can use to guide them when they are developing policies, programmes or interventions in the sector. It provides a checklist of key issues that development partners always need to take into account when planning or implementing any intervention in fisheries. The development partners, referred to as the audience of CamCode, include FiA and other government agencies involved in the fisheries sector; donor agencies; international lending agencies; national lending agencies; intergovernmental organisations; local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs); academic institutions; private consultancies; training institutions and other service providers working in support of the development, management and conservation of fisheries. CamCode specifically reflects the values, culture, priorities and concerns of Cambodia and should guide everyone working in the fisheries sector in Cambodia. The focus of CamCode goes beyond that of the CCRF because CamCode is driven by the developmental needs of Cambodia. It addresses key concerns to the development, management and conservation of fisheries in Cambodia such as poverty reduction, gender, transparency, accountability, harmonisation, working conditions and participation in the policy process. It also covers the technical areas of conservation, management, fishing operations, aquaculture, post-harvest fisheries and research. CamCode is different from “fisheries law” because it is voluntary whereas laws must be obeyed. It does not replace the existing laws on fisheries – it complements those laws and supports their implementation. CamCode is also different from fisheries policy because it is more general. CamCode will generally say “how” things should be done in the sector, while policies will define “what” should be done over a limited period. CamCode provides valuable guidance for the development, management and conservation of fisheries, it defines a set of principles and best practice for the sector which closely reflects the realities of the sector in Cambodia. It provides a framework for both generating policy and for guiding policy implementation – but it does not prescribe policy. VII CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries An important feature of CamCode is that it should be a document that is ideally agreed to by all development, management and conservation partners in the sector – government, NGOs, donors and the private sector. While these different participants in fisheries may have different priorities and objectives, and in some cases somewhat different policies, it is hoped that they will all agree to follow the principles and guidance which are outlined in the CamCode. In this way it acts as a mechanism for wider coordination between government, NGO, donor and private sector stakeholders. Like the global Code, it provides a sufficiently broad framework to facilitate a wide array of different forms of intervention and it should have the flexibility to evolve over time as understanding of the sector increases and/or circumstances change. Furthermore, the National Program for Sub-National Democratic Development (NP-SNDD)1 sets out the RGC’s agenda for a comprehensive 10-year governance reform process of the sub-national administrations. As the RGC’s strategy comes into effect, the CamCode will become an invaluable guide to those working in the Fisheries sector at sub-National level. In particular, it will assist FiA staff working at Cantonment level to base their policies and plans on recognised best practice. 1 Published in May 2010 VIIICamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries HOW TO USE CAMCODE C amCode provides guidance on how development partners can improve collaboration, cooperation and coordination. It can be used in several ways to achieve this: as a checklist of good practice, as a source of policy guidance, as a template for good planning and as a guide to donor support. When used as a checklist of good practice, CamCode can provide valuable guidance about what needs to be considered in the development process. It can also be used to measure how effective interventions have been by comparing actual implementation practice. This will be particularly useful when evaluating the success of interventions. Likewise when considering organisational policies and plans for responding to issues in the sector, CamCode can be used as a checklist to ensure that all areas have been covered and as a source of appropriate terminology and linkages that can be used to write policy. Annex 1 at the back of CamCode provides guidance on how this might be achieved. For donors and funding agencies there is specific advice on developing policies and country strategies in Annex 2. When planning interventions CamCode should be used to check that all appropriate elements have been included in the plan and that the plan is well harmonised with other plans and following good practice. IX CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 1 NATURE AND SCOPE OF CAMCODE C amCode is a broad statement of what the development partners in the fisheries sector in Cambodia consider to be both important and necessary principles and practices to be taken to ensure equitable and sustainable development of the sector. CamCode is voluntary but adherence to its principles and guidance will create a unity of purpose and direction for the development of the sector that reduces conflict and assists in greater harmonisation of development activities and strategies. 1.1 Voluntary Guidance CamCode does not replace the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF). It adds to the CCRF and makes it more relevant to local conditions and to local partners. 1.2 Complements the CCRF The focus of CamCode goes beyond that of the CCRF because CamCode is driven by the developmental needs of Cambodia. It therefore also addresses key policy concerns such as poverty reduction, gender, transparency, accountability, harmonisation, working conditions, and participation in the policy process. It also covers the technical areas of conservation, management, fishing operations, aquaculture, post-harvest fisheries and research. 1.3 Driven by the specific needs of Cambodia CamCode provides a set of principles which should guide how those people involved in the fisheries sector should work towards the development of the sector and it provides guidance on how that development process should be undertaken.CamCode supports the principles which guide the provision of aid to developing countries, set out clearly in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. 1.4 CamCode provides guidance and principles for development 1CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries CamCode is the product of a process of evolution. The fisheries sector in Cambodia in undergoing major reform and CamCode has been developed to facilitate that reform. CamCode is based on a process of trying and testing different approaches to see what works in the Cambodian context and what does not. It learns from the experiences of not only the work of government in the development and management of the sector, but also from NGOs, both local andinternational, who have made major contributions to the development of the sector. It also recognises and reflects the work which donor agencies have contributed to the sector’s development, both directly through fundingand technical support, and more indirectly through the Technical Working Group on Fisheries (TWGF). 1.5 CamCode is a flexible document CamCode relates to all the aquatic resources of Cambodia in both marine and freshwater environments. It also deals with the fisheries-related international and Regional cooperation. 1.6 Covers marine and freshwater CamCode does not state the developmental objectives of the fisheries sector, these are defined by national policy, and these will change from time-to-time. It does provide guidance on how different objectives might be achieved. 1.7 CamCode is not national policy 332 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 2 THE OBJECTIVES OF THE CAMCODE 2.1 Establish principles I n accordance with agreed best practice, evidence and national laws, for the responsible development, managementand conservation of fisheries and other aquatic resources (inland and marine). THE OBJECTIVES OF CAMCODE ARE TO 2.2 Provide guidance which may be used where appropriate in the formulation and implementation of international agreements and other legal instruments, both binding and voluntary. 2.3 Guide policy-making and planning within the sector to achieve equitable, sustainable and coordinated development in line with national development policies and plans. 2.4 Increase transparency, accountability and harmonisation throughout the development of the fisheries sector. 2.5 Facilitate cooperation, collaboration and communication between different stakeholders in the sector, and to foster a greater sense of partnership between different stakeholder groups in the conservation, management development and use of fisheries. 2.6 Promote more responsible development development of the sector to become more sustainable and equitable in fishing operations, aquaculture, rice field fisheries, post-harvest fisheries and ancillary industries. 332 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 3 C amCode is to be interpreted and applied in conformity with the relevant international and national laws. In particular the Fisheries Law and associated supporting legal instruments and documents are the primary legal framework in which the fisheries of Cambodia must operate. Nothing in CamCode prejudices the rights, jurisdiction and duties of Cambodia under international law. RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LAWS AND POLICIES 3.1 CamCode and the law 3.2 National law 3.3 International law 554 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND UPDATING 4.1 Collaborating with stakeholders A ll stakeholders in the development, management and conservation of fisheries in Cambodia should collaborate in the implementation of CamCode’s principles, objectives and guidance. 4.2 Supporting CamCode 4.3 Monitoring the implementation of CamCode To foster both efficient and harmonised uptake of CamCode, international donors and financial lending institutions, NGOs and United Nations bodies and agencies should support development in the fisheries sector and wider national development in line with the guidance provided in CamCode and in ways that promote harmonisation and alignment with the systems and processes of the government of Cambodia. CamCode will continue to evolve and it is intended that this evolution will be reflected in, and in turn will reflect changes in, the regionalisation of the CCRF. The Fisheries Administration will be the body responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of CamCode to the development needs of Cambodia. FiA, in its role as custodians of the fisheries sector on behalf of the nation, will monitor the application and effects of CamCode on fisheries development and will report back to the TWGF on an annual basis. All stakeholders who are involved in managing, researching and developing the sector should actively cooperate with FiA in that process. 4 554 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 4.4 Modifying CamCode 4.5 Promoting the understanding of CamCode 4.6 Developing technical guidance for the implementation of CamCode FiA will, from time to time, assess the need to modify CamCode taking into account developments in the fishery and in Cambodia more widely. This will be done in consultation with other national stakeholders. All government bodies, NGOs, local government authorities, commune councils and community groups should promote the understanding of CamCode amongst those involved in fisheries. Recognising the CamCode provides a broad structure of guidance and principles, FiA will work with other development partners to develop appropriate technical guidance to support the implementation of CamCode. 776 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 5 GENERAL PRINCIPLES 5.1 The purpose of the General Principles 5.1.1 Adhering to key guidance: The general principles of CamCode provide guidance on the key areas of CamCode that cut across the sector and stand out as some of the more important areas. They provide the minimum guidance that should be adhered to by all partners in the sector. 5.2 The General Principles 5.2.1 Operating in conformity with the law: The management, development, conservation and use of the aquatic resources under Cambodia’s jurisdiction will be implemented in conformity with the Constitution of the country, and with the laws that apply to Cambodia both nationally and internationally. 5.2.2 Recognising and upholding the separation of roles and responsibilities: There are many agencies involved in the management, development, use and conservation of fisheries and aquatic resources. There needs to be clear separation of these roles and responsibilities, transparency of law enforcement and cooperation and coordination between agencies. 5.2.3 Recognising the value of fisheries: The value of the fisheries resources and aquatic environments to maintaining and to increasing the development of Cambodia, should be fully recognised and supported. 5.2.4 Incorporating a flexible approach: Given the constantly changing factors affecting the fishery in Cambodia, an iterative and adaptive approach should be adopted to the development, management and conservation of the fishery. 5.2.5 Recognising the importance of fisheries to vulnerable groups: The development, management (including allocation) and conservation of the aquatic resources of Cambodia should fully recognise the importance of those resources to the most vulnerable groups in rural society and should, where appropriate, act to support, enhance and protect the livelihoods of those people. In particular the needs of the poor, women and marginalised groups need to be specifically considered. 776 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 5.2.6 Recognising the role of women: The importance of the role of women in harvesting, aquaculture, processing, trade, purchasing, preparation and provision of fish for household consumption must be recognised and gender mainstreamed in all aspects of fisheries management, development, conservation and use. 5.2.7 Providing appropriate alternative livelihoods: Where changes in laws or policies affecting fisheries may lead to diminished access for the poor and vulnerable and for family or small-scale fishers, these should not be introduced without adequate provision for alternative livelihoods. Such efforts to enhance and diversify live lihoods should fully reflect the complexity, diversity and changing aspects of those livelihoods at the individual, household and community levels, and be fully incorporated into the local and wider economy. 5.2.8 Considering the needs of future generations: Users of the living aquatic resources in Cambodia should do so in ways that promote sustainable and equitable use of those resources which balance the needs of current and future generations, and the needs of individuals with those of wider Cambodian society. 5.2.9 Observing rights and obligations: The right to farm, harvest or otherwise use living and non-living aquatic resources carries with it the obligation to do so in a responsible manner so as to ensure the effective conservation and management of those resources, their biological diversity and their potential to provide future benefit flows to the country. 5.2.10 Adopting a precautionary approach: All participants in the development, management and conservation of the fisheries sector should adopt a precautionary approach to their decisions and actions to ensure the mainte nance of sustainable and equitable use of those fisheries resources. 5.2.11 Ensuring freedom from harassment: Fish workers have the right to go about their lawful business without harassment, unfair pressure or corrupt practices influencing their work. These rights should be upheld by all partners working in the sector. 5.2.12 Maintaining the value of fish products: The harvesting, handling, processing and distribution of fish and fishery products should be carried out in a manner which will maintain the nutritional value, economic value, quality and safety of the products, reduce waste, and minimize negative impacts on the environment. 5.2.13 Supporting participation in decisions: All participants in the fisheries sector of Cambodia should, to the extent permitted by national laws and regulations, ensure that decision-making processes are transparent and achieve timely solutions to urgent matters. In accordance with appropriate procedures, they should facilitate consultation and the effective participation of industry, fishworkers, environmental and other interested organizations in decision–making with respect to the development of laws and policies related to fisheries management, development, international lending and aid. 998 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 5.2.14 Using integrated approaches: Partners participating in the management, development and conservation of fisheries in Cambodia should recognise the complexity of these issues and concerns and should work in partnership with FiA and other relevant agencies outside of fisheries to develop an integrated cross-sectoral approach to the development of the sector. 5.2.15 Making evidence-based decisions: The development, conservation and management decisions made for the fisheries sector should be evidence-based. That evidence should be the best available and should be regularly updated and validated. Such decisions should also take into account traditional knowledge of the resources and aquatic habitats, as well as relevant environmental, cultural, economic and social factors. 998 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 6 POLICY-MAKING AND PLANNING FOR THE SECTOR 6.1.1 Respecting international obligations: The policy process in fisheries carries with it, and is guided by, certain international obligations. These include the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and other international laws, conventions and agreements. Those to which Cambodia is a party must be taken fully into account during the process of policy-making, planning and project and programme design and implementation. These relevant agreements go beyond the direct use of fisheries resources and also address the wider livelihoods of people involved in the sector. In particular those concerned with the health and safety of those people employed within the sector and the rights of minorities who depend upon the sector. Partners in the development, management, conservation and use of fisheries in Cambodia are required to respect and respond to these obligations and to fully incorporate them into their work. 6.1.2 Working towards harmonisation and alignment: Those partners providing development funds for the fisheries sector should also be aware of the obligations placed upon them by the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Accra Agenda for Action, and the programme of Harmonisation, Alignment and Reporting established by the Government to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of the development process. Every effort should be made to conform to the government’s harmonisation and alignment strategy. 6.1.3 Responding to development priorities: The national government of Cambodia develops policy frameworks which define the priorities which need to be considered within the fisheries sector. These priorities are designed to maximise the contribution of the fisheries sector to the achievement of national development objectives as defined in national development plans from time to time. All partners engaged in the development, management, conservation and use of fisheries, or who through their activities impact upon that sector, should be aware of these priorities and should incorporate them into their policies and plans. 6.1 The policy and planning processes in the sector 111110 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 6.1.4 Harmonising policies and plans: Policies and plans of other sectors will impact upon the fisheries sector, especially where infrastructure, agriculture, tourism and industry affect the aquatic environment, key aquatic species, critical habitats and the livelihood opportunities of the people who depend upon the fisheries sector. Every effort must be made by government bodies, private sector operators and civil society to work together to ensure that their policies and plans do not conflict with those of policies and plans established by the government for the fisheries sector. 6.1.5 Respecting the diversity of needs: The development of government policies and plans in the fisheries sector will have significant and different effects on different stakeholder groups. The FiA, and other government bodies involved in the policy and planning process, will ensure that such processes are transparent, that they engage with all key stakeholder groups in that process, and reflect the diversity of needs and aspirations of international, national, provincial, district, commune and community-level participants as far as is possible. 6.1.6 Responding to complexity and change: The policy and planning processes in fisheries should recognise the dynamic and complex nature of livelihoods and should adopt flexible and process-oriented approaches that can accommodate change. 6.2 Aims of fisheries development in Cambodia 6.2.1 Maximising the development contribution of fisheries: The aims of fisheries development in Cambodia will be in line with maximising the contribution of the sector to the achievement of national development objectives as defined in relevant documents and changed from time to time. 6.2.2 Responding to multiple objectives: These aims will address, amongst other things, the role of the fisheries sector in the livelihoods of the poor; the quality, number and type of jobs which the sector can provide; the role of fish in domestic food and nutrition security across different income groups; the contribution of the fisheries sector to national income; the contribution of the fisheries sector to the foreign exchange balance of the economy and the role of fish imports and exports; and the preservation and protection of the natural heritage of the country in terms of fisheries biomass, biological diversity, and ecosystem function, diversity and extent. In so doing the policies and plans will take into consideration the needs and aspirations of both the current and future generations. 111110 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 6.2.3 Defining the effects and impacts of interventions: Partners engaged in programmes, projects and activities within the fisheries sector should make it clear what effects and impacts those interventions are intended to have on the policy objectives of the fisheries sector. 6.2.4 Deciding the priorities for policy trade-offs: When considering this diversity of aims, the policy process will recognise the interaction of the measures needed to achieve these different aims of the fisheries sector, the potential conflict between those measures and the need to balance different aims with each other. In achieving this balance it will be necessary to make trade-offs between different aims and objectives. The criteria for deciding how those trade-offs are made will be decided by wider national policy and international obligation as defined at the time, and will be in accordance with the principles established under CamCode. 131312 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND HARMONISATION WITHIN THE SECTOR 7 7.1 Transparency and accountability 7.1.1 Collaborating for transparency and accountability: Transparency and accountability are essential components of building trust amongst partners engaged in the development, management and conservation of the fisheries sector. They are also central to allowing partners to work together and to achieve harmonisation of policies, plans and ac tions within the sector. All partners in government, private sector and civil society should work together to achieve the highest standards of transparency and accountability in their work. 7.1.2 Making policy and planning transparent: In order to enhance cooperation and collaboration between partners in the sector, all policy-making and planning processes should be transparent and should engage with all relevant stakeholders groups where possible. 7.1.3 Supporting the effectiveness of the TWGF: The TWGF was established by MAFF, following a recommendation by the Prime Minister, to promote and foster such transparency and accountability. All partners in the sector should collaborate in making the TWGF a viable and successful mechanism for this transparency and accountability to develop. 7.1.4 Reporting on transparency and accountability: The Secretariat of the TWGF will, from time to time, review the experiences of transparency and accountability within the sector and will report back to the TWGF on its findings. It will make such recommendations to the TWGF on ways in which transparency and accountability within the sector can be increased. 131312 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 7.2 Harmonisation and alignment 7.2.1 Donors complementing FiA plans: FiA has a series of annual and multi-year plans for the development of the fisheries sector. These plans are designed to bring together the support from government to the sector into an integrated programme. International donors and lending agencies wishing to fund activities within the fisheries sector, and other partners wishing to support or facilitate such activities, should do so in ways that adhere to, complement and add value to these planning structures and processes. 7.2.2 Engaging with the TWGF: The TWGF provides a mechanism for the exchange of ideas, experiences and plans of all development partners. Partners should use the TWGF to present their proposed activities and plans to the wider development community in fisheries, to seek guidance and support from other development partners and to encourage greater harmonisation and coordination within the sector. 7.2.3 Harmonising development procedures: The government’s plan for harmonisation and alignment calls for closer harmonisation of systems for planning, reporting, funding and reviewing activities within the sector. All partners should work together to support this harmonisation process and strive to align these system with each other. 7.2.4 Working with FiA procedures: FiA is working towards a standardised set of procedures for planning activities, for the management of funding, for reporting, for staff salaries and incentives, for monitoring and evaluation and for staff development. Partners working directly with FiA should facilitate this process by adopting the FiA proce dures where possible. 7.2.5 Exchanging knowledge: All participants in the development, management, conservation and use of fisheries should cooperate in the timely exchange of data, information and knowledge concerning the sector. This should ideally be done in the key languages used within the development, management and conservation of the sector at any given time but, above all, in Khmer. 151514 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 8 PARTNERSHIPS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF FISHERIES 8.1 Supporting regional partnerships Essential to the successful development, management and conservation of fisheries resources is working in partnerships. At the international level partners should, where appropriate, cooperate and collaborate on a regional basis. Partners should also be aware of their potential to affect the fisheries sectors of countries which are neighbours of Cambodia. 8.2 Collaborating with other national partners Within fisheries in Cambodia, the government recognises that it cannot provide all the services needed by the people who depend upon the sector for their livelihoods. Partners should work closely with FiA and with other government agencies at national, provincial and local levels, and with partners in the private sector and civil society to provide a complementary suite of services for the sector. 8.3 Complementing each other’s activities With different partners in the fisheries sector working together, the potential to add value to each other and to complement development, management and conservation measures is considerable. Partners should collaborate, cooperate and communicate with each other in ways that maximise the complementarity of their respective efforts. In particular, when planning interventions in the sector, partners should seek to complement what others are doing and try to work to add value to ongoing activities rather than operating in isolation. 151514 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 9 INVOLVEMENT OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER GROUPS 9.1.1 Engaging with all stakeholders: The fisheries sector provides opportunities for a wide array of potential users from family-level processors to commercial fish farmers and traders, and both men and women; to people who live in floating villages to people who live in cities. All have an important contribution to make to the development of the fishery, all need to be found space in the sector and all should be given the opportunity to express their voice in the decision-making processes. 9.1.2 Recognising different levels of participation: Recognising that there are many forms of participation, partners should consider carefully what level of participation is required and how that will be achieved. They should make it clear and transparent what form of participation was used in different consultation processes. 9.1.3 Building representative organisation: To enhance the voice of the different participants in the decision-making processes associated with the fisheries sector, partners should cooperate with each other and with FiA to assess the potential, and where appropriate support the development of representative organisations across the sector. 9.1 Involving a diversity of stakeholders 9.2.1 Responding to the needs of the poor: One of the most significant groups of stakeholders involved in fisheries is the poor. They make up a large percentage of the participants in the fishery in Cambodia. Some of the poor are involved in the fisheries sector only seasonally or on a part-time basis. Others enter the sector when other means of making a living are no longer available. Partners should fully recognise and respond to this role of fisheries as a livelihood option for the poor and as a safety net. 9.2 Involving the poor 171716 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 9.2.2 Engaging with the poor: The poor are often isolated from decision-making processes, have limited access to information about the sector, and often lack the resources and capacities to respond to change in the fisheries sector or to take up opportunities. Partners should recognise these difficulties and make special efforts to work with the poor to fully include them in the development process. 9. 3 Mainstreaming gender 9.3.1 Mainstreaming gender: Reflecting FiA’s Gender Mainstreaming Policy and Strategy in the Fisheries Sector (GMPSFS), partners should aim to enhance gender equality in the fisheries sector through active engagement with both men and women to enable both to benefit equally from the activities of all sub-sectors in the fisheries sector. 9.3.2 Responding to imbalances between genders in the fisheries sector: Recognising that women have often in the past had less access to the rights, responsibilities and opportunities in the fisheries sector, partners should cooperate to reduce such gender imbalances. This is particularly the case in women’s involvement in decision-making processes in the sector. 9.3.3 Responding to the different needs of men and women: Recognising the different roles, aspirations and needs of men and women in the fisheries sector, partners should work together to fully incorporate gender issues into their policies and plans. 9.3.4 Disaggregating data to reflect gender differences: Recognising the need to adequately cater for the different needs of men and women in policies and plans, partners should aim to disaggregate data and development targets to reflect these differences. 9.3.5 Raising awareness of gender issues: Recognising that gender related issues are often poorly understood, partners should make every effort to raise awareness about gender considerations and how to respond appropriately to them. 171716 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 9.4.1 Engaging with people working outside of the law: Often those people who are seen to be behaving negatively towards the sector, such as illegal fishers and mangrove cutters, are excluded from participation in the decision-making processes. It is important to understand why they engage in such practices and to facilitate their involvement in identifying solutions. Partners should recognise the significant contribution that these people can make to the development and management process – both negative and positive - and should work with these stakeholders to identify ways of bringing them into the decision-making processes of the fisheries sector. 9.4 Operators outside of the law 9.5.1 Including minority groups in decision-making: Minority groups, such as hill tribe people, play an important role in the fisheries sector. However, these groups have not always been fully included in the processes associated with decision-making and support within the sector. Partners should make every effort to ensure that these groups are fully included in future development, management and conservation measures. The need to cater for specific language needs should also be considered. 9.5.2 Raising awareness of responsibilities: Likewise there is a responsibility on all people to comply with the laws which apply to the sector, to conform to the policies of the sector, and to follow the guidance provided by CamCode. Partners should work with these groups to ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities under the law and under CamCode. 9.5 Minority groups 9.6.1 Considering the needs of future generations: All partners in the sector should consider the needs of future generations in their decision making processes. This will be particularly important for children of the current generation of fish workers who will want to follow their parents into the fishery. There will need to be limits to this expansion of the number of workers in the future if sustainable benefit flows are to be maintained, and all partners should strive to identify and promote viable and sustainable alternative livelihoods for these potential participants in the sector. 9.6 Future generations 191918 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS IN THE SECTOR 10.1 Working conditions generally 10 10.1.1 Ensuring health, safety and quality of work: All people working in Cambodia are entitled to healthy and safe working conditions. Recognising the hazardous and often difficult life involved in working in fisheries, partners in the sector should strive to ensure that work quality and health and safety standards are adopted for everyone employed in the fisheries sector. Such standards should ideally be not less than the minimum requirements of relevant international agreements on conditions of work and service. 10.1.2 Meeting international standards in working conditions: Public, private and civil society organisations operating in the fisheries sector should ensure that fishing facilities and equipment as well as all fisheries activities allow for safe, healthy and fair working and living conditions and meet, where possible, internationally agreed standards adopted by relevant international organizations, and should meet the provisions of all laws governing general health and safety within Cambodia. 10.1.3 Promoting improved knowledge and skills: Partners working with fish workers should seek to enhance, through education and training programmes, the knowledge and skills of fish workers and, where appropriate, their professional qualifications. Such programmes should take into account agreed international standards and guidelines. 10.1.4 Catering for the needs of female workers: Where women are involved in working in the sector, efforts should be made to ensure that their particular cultural, health, safety and working needs are catered for. 10.1.5 Catering for the needs of child workers: Where children are involved in working in the sector, efforts should be made to ensure that their particular educational, cultural, health, safety and working needs are catered for. 10.1.6 Supporting representative groups: Recognising that many people are not skilled resource or otherwise able to insist on their rights within the fishing industry, partners should work with stakeholders in industry to facilitate the formation of representative groups that can assist workers in the sector to achieve, amongst other things, safe working conditions and fair wages. 191918 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 10.2.1 Integrating fishing into rescue services: Partners should support government agencies responsible for fishing vessel safety to make arrangements, individually, together with other States or with the appropriate international organization, to integrate fishing operations in Cambodia into national and regional maritime search and rescue systems. 10.2.2 Reducing the frequency and consequences of accidents: Partners in the fisheries sector should cooperate in both reducing the consequences of accidents during fishing operations and decreasing the likelihood of casualties by accident prevention. 10.2.3 Linking national and local safety systems: Partners should consider the appropriateness of promoting greater community involvement in safety arrangement and particularly monitoring and reporting of missing vessels. Partners should also consider, and if appropriate work towards, the potential of such systems being integrated into an effective national system. 10.2.4 Promoting safer fishing vessels: Partners should work with owners of fishing vessels to raise their awareness and understanding of the safe design of vessels for the operating conditions under which they will be used, to guide them on the appropriate safety equipment they should carry and the safety training that crews should receive. 10.2.5 Promoting understanding of legal requirements of fishing: Recognising that conflict between different scales of fisheries operations occurs, partners should cooperate to raise the awareness of participants in the harvesting of fish about their responsibilities under the law concerning fishing operations in different zones and, in particular, the responsibility of larger-scale vessels to avoid conflicting with small-scale operations in the inshore zone of the coast. 10.2 Safety during fishing operations 10.3 Safety during aquaculture activities 10.3.1 Responding to health and safety in aquaculture: Partners should cooperate to identify health and safety issues in the aquaculture sub-sector and work together to reduce or remove these. 10.3.2 Collaborating to improve standards: Partners should share knowledge and work together to promote best practice throughout the industry which will lead to a rise in standards and reduction in the incidence of workplace injury and ill health. 212120 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 10.4 Safety during post-harvest activities 10.4.1 Reducing the negative health affects of fish processing: The processing of fish can involve the use of water-borne and air-borne chemicals and particles that can be detrimental to the health of the workers involved in fish processing and/or the consumers of the processed fish. Partners should collaborate to understand these concerns and to adopt practices that reduce these detrimental effects. 10.4.2 Reducing exposure to smoke in fish processing: In particular partners should work to reduce the exposure to smoke that workers in fish smoking practices are subjected to, especially through more fuel efficient fish smoking processes. 10.4.3 Increasing awareness of threats from chemical use: Partners should also work towards raising awareness about the potential risks of using certain chemicals on fish to prevent fly infestation. 10.4.4 Improving fish handling and storage practices: Partners should also work towards introducing improved handling and storage practices that will increase the quality of the fish being made available to consumers. 10.3.3 Reducing adverse impacts on fish quality: Practices within the aquaculture industry can also have adverse implications for consumers. Partners should cooperate to understand and support the reduction of practices that threaten the quality of the fish produced by aquaculture. 212120 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 11 11.1.1 Promoting collaboration across sectors: Recognising that the inland and marine waters of Cambodia have multiple uses and users, partners should ensure that there is a high level of consultation in any environmental protection measures and that there is collaboration and cooperation across sectors, and harmonisation with commune management regulations and the fisheries law. 11.1.2 Minimising adverse transboundary environmental effects: Cambodia is bordered by Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Many of the water bodies cross those national boundaries and there is much movement and trade between the countries. Partners should be aware of the potential of transboundary environmental issues associated with their work and should cooperate with each other and with FiA to minimise their adverse effects. 11.1.3 Adopting systems-based approaches: Given the multiple-uses of the aquatic environment by, amongst others, fishers, transporters, farmers, energy generators, and tourists, and given the interconnectedness of water bodies in Cambodia with each other and land-based activities, partners should adopted a systems approach to environmental protection. 11.1.4 Reducing adverse health-environmental linkages: Degradation of the aquatic environment can have significant health implications for people in adjacent communities and that the cost of ill-health can lead people to make environmentally unsustainable decisions about the way that they use resources. Partners should be aware of these health-environment linkages and work together with health sector workers to reduce the adverse consequences. 11.1.5 Considering the health of future generations: Such health-related issues should take into consideration future, as well as current, generations of people who depend upon the sector. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 11.1 Wider environmental concerns 232322 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 11.2 The protection of critical species 11.2.1 Raising awareness and understanding about critical species: Cambodia has some unique species of fish and other aquatic plants and animals which are part of the natural heritage of the country. Some of these are threaten by over-exploitation, illegal fishing gear, pollution, damming, the dumping of waste in the aquatic environment, increased sedimentation, wetland reclamation or habitat destruction. Partners should work with the stakeholders involved in the exploitation of the fishery to raise awareness and understanding of the damage that is being done to these critical species and the importance of protecting and preserving them. 11.2.2 Collaborating for the protection of endangered species: Partners should recognise that they have a responsibility to collaborate with each other to ensure that those critical species are protected in ways that ensure their continued existence within Cambodian waters. 11.2.3 Collaborating in responding to external pressures on critical species: Partners should work together to understand how susceptible to damage from external sources enclosed water bodies and associated species are, particularly in relation to pollution, physical damage to the environment and changes in water flow or flooding. Partners should also work together to reduce these adverse effects and impacts. 11.2.4 Avoiding actions which have adverse effects on critical species: Any partner planning interventions, whether of a social, environmental or economic nature, that could affect aquatic species and habitats, has a responsibility to define those effects in advance of the intervention and to take such measures as to ensure the protection of those critical species. 11.2.5 Promoting the use of selective and environmentally safe fishing gear: Partners should collaborate and exchange information on the development and use of selective and environmentally safe fishing gear and practices. Where appropriate, and in line with policies and laws at the time, these gear and practices should be promoted and their application supported in order to maintain biodiversity and to conserve the population structure and aquatic ecosystems, and protect fish quality. Where proper selective and environmentally safe fishing gear and practices exist, they should be recognized and accorded a priority status within a fishery. Partners should also work with fishers to adopt practices that minimize waste, the catch of non-target species, both fish and non-fish species, and impacts on associated or dependent species. 232322 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 11.2.6 Incorporating cultural linkages with critical species into management measures: Partners should recognise the traditional, cultural and religious links that local people have with different species and should, where appropriate, incorporate these links into management measures aimed at the protection of critical species. 11.3.1 Promoting awareness about critical habitats: Recognising the importance of key habitats to the overall productivity of the fishery, partners should make every effort to ensure that this understanding is fully appreciated by all users of the aquatic environment. 11.3.2 Exchanging environmental information: Recognising the time, cost and effort of generating knowledge about the physical environment, partners should make every effort to exchange information concerning the management, development, conservation and use of critical habitats in ways that enhance the sustainable and equitable use of those habitats. 11.3.3 Protecting and rehabilitating critical habitats: Partners should collaborate with each other to protect and rehabilitate, as far as possible and where necessary, all critical fisheries habitats in marine and fresh water ecosystems, such as wetlands, mangroves, seagrass, reefs, lagoons, floodplains, flooded forests, deep pools, and nursery and spawning areas. Particular effort should be made to protect such habitats from destruction, degradation, pollution and other significant impacts resulting from human activities that threaten the health and viability of the fishery resources. 11.3.4 Harmonising management efforts: Partners should make particular efforts to keep FiA and other development partners fully informed in a timely manner of the management measures that they are adopting so that there is limited duplication of efforts in particular locations. 11.3.5 Incorporating cultural beliefs into management measures: Recognising the traditional, cultural and religious links that local people have with their environment, partners should, where appropriate, incorporate these into management measures aimed at the protection of critical habitats. 11.3 The protection of critical habitats 252524 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 11.3.6 Responding to the traditional rights of small-scale producers: Partners should understand the traditional rights of small-scale users of aquatic habitats and, where possible and inline with current policy, preferential access to those habitats should be provided to the small-scale users consistent with the sustainable use of those resources. 11.3.7 Using traditional knowledge in management: Partners should recognise the importance and value of traditional ecological knowledge to the management of critical habitats that many people in Cambodia have and, where appropriate, this should be incorporated into management and conservation measures. 11.3.8 Involving local people in habitat protection measures: Partners should work with local people to ensure that they are fully engaged in all aspects of the development of critical habitat protection measures and should, where appropriate, be fully involved in all decision-making processes. 11.3.9 Supporting the uptake of viable and sustainable livelihood alternatives: Recognising that the protection and management of critical habitats is likely to remove livelihood opportunities from some groups of people who depend upon those critical habitats, partners should make every effort to help those people to identify and take up appropriate, viable and sustainable livelihood alternatives in advance of the management measures being put in place. 11.3.10 Creating new habitats: The creation of new habitats such as artificial reefs and refugia may be considered appropriate under certain circumstances to enhance or protect existing species and habitats. These should be subjected to sufficient impact assessment before implementation. 11.4 External effects on the sector 11.4.1 Responding to external pressures on aquatic species and habitats: Recognising that many activities outside of the fisheries sector, such as oil and gas extraction, coastal land reclamation, pollution from industrial factories and processes, flooded forest cutting, agriculture, forestry, urbanisation, infrastructure development and tourism, can negatively impact upon the aquatic environment, partners should collaborate to understand such effects and impacts, jointly develop strategies to address them, work together to raise awareness and understanding of these effects across different stakeholder groups and ensure that decision-making processes take them into account. 252524 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 11.4.2 Understanding and responding to the threat of large-scale infrastructure on aquatic resources: In particular, given the potential effects of dams on changes in flooding patterns, disruption of fish migration, changes in flooded forest inundation, loss of habitats and changes in water-borne disease, partners should collaborate to ensure that such infrastructure is planned taking the fishery fully into account and that adverse changes are minimised. 11.4.3 Understanding and responding to climate change: Recognising that climate change is likely to have a major effect on the environment in Cambodia, that this is likely to affect the fisheries resources of the country, but that it is not possible to predict what those effects will be, development partners should place high priority on working together to build the capacity to monitor, understand and respond to such changes quickly and effectively. 11.4.4 Building the resilience of the poor to adapt to change: Recognising that change will often have the most immediate and adverse effects on the poor, partners should cooperate to support the poor at policy and policy implementation levels to adapt to such changes quickly, to build resilience to future changes, and to be able to preferentially take up opportunities that arise for such changes. 272726 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES 12 12.1 Management objectives 12.1.1 Ensuring that fish are used sustainably: Given the importance of fish and other aquatic resources to Cambodia as a nation, to the people whose livelihoods depend upon the sector and to those people who consume fish as a significant part of their diet, all partners should cooperate to ensure that fish and other aquatic resources are used sustainably. 12.1.2 Reflecting wider policy in fisheries management objectives: The management objectives that are defined for the use of fish, other aquatic resources and aquatic habitats in Cambodia, should reflect the importance of those resources to national development objectives especially to food and nutrition security, poverty reduction, employment, economic growth, foreign exchange balance and the protection of natural heritage. Partners should ensure that the management objectives defined reflect the policies of government at the time. 12.1.3 Integrating management objectives with commune plans: In order to enhance democratic processes and to make the best use of scarce development resources, partners should ensure that fisheries management objectives are consistent with and well integrated into commune plans. 12.1.4 Deciding management measures in a consultative manner: Effective fisheries management requires a diversity of approaches which are adaptive and adaptable to local circumstances. Partners should collaborate to ensure that decisions about the form of fisheries management which should be adopted in any specific situation are taken in a transparent and consultative manner involving all the key stakeholders concerned. 12.1.5 Promoting evidence-based management decisions: Partners should make management choices that are informed by the best available evidence and they should make every effort to make that evidence available to the stakeholders they are working with in a form that can be easily understood. 12.1.6 Raising awareness of factors that affect decisions concerning resource access: Partners should raise awareness and understanding amongst different stakeholder groups about existing policies, laws and regulations which will affect their choices, international obligations and fundamental requirements regarding sustainability, equitable access and the need for cross-sectoral coordination. 272726 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 12.1.7 Understanding the costs and benefits of community fisheries: The development of community fisheries has been recognised globally as a significant step towards the provision of rights to small-scale producers. The effects and impacts of such measures in the Cambodian context need to be fully understood so that future policies regarding community fisheries management measures can be evidence-based. Partners should work together to understand the benefits and costs of community management in the Cambodian context and to regularly share their findings. 12.1.8 Developing community fisheries development objectives: Where community fisheries are being supported, part ners should work with communities to develop local management objectives but should be consistent with the law and the policies of the government and should be based on principles which ensure the sustainable and equitable use of those resources. 12.1.9 Ensure harmonisation of lot fisheries management and wider management needs: In recent years the lot system of fisheries management and exploitation has been used in parallel with community fisheries. Where the lot system is in use, the management objectives will be defined by FiA and recorded in the “Burden Book”. Partners should work with FiA to ensure that wider management objectives in adjacent waters are in harmony with these. 12.1.10 Recognising the implications of management objectives on processors, traders and consumers: When deciding management objectives, partners should take into consideration the interconnectedness of the sector and should consider, and take into account, the implications of management decisions on fish processors, traders and consumers. 12.1.11 Promoting management through alternative livelihoods: Recognising that, whilst fisheries production can be increased sustainably through better management of resources, through expansion of aquaculture, through rice field production, and through protection and enhancement of the environment, there are limits to production in the short to medium-term and that some people will need to be encouraged and supported to leave the fishery if those remaining are to maintain the quality of their livelihoods. Partners should recognise this concern and should cooperate with each other and with fishing communities and commune councils to identify and develop viable and sustainable alternative livelihoods, in ways that reflect the needs, aspirations and capabilities of those people, which will allow the pressure on the fisheries resources to be reduced. 12.1.12 Including the poor in management decisions: Given that the poor are so dependent on the fisheries sector and given that many of them are so marginalised from the decision-making processes, partners should make every effort to include the poor in management decisions and to enhance their capacity to meaningfully participate in such processes. 292928 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 12.2 The lot system 12.2.1 Understanding the costs and benefits of the lot system of management: Given the past and potential use of the lot system as a fisheries management and exploitation measure, partners should cooperate to fully understand the benefits and costs of the lot system and to share their findings on a regular basis. 12.2.2 Understanding the impact of different fishing gear: Recognising that different fishing gears have different effects and impacts under different circumstance, development partners should consult with FiA before the introduction of new gears or existing gears into new locations. 12.3 Community fisheries management 12.3.1 Integrating community fisheries with commune plans: Where community fisheries is adopted as the preferred management system, partners should ensure that community fisheries plans are well integrated with commune plans, and consistent with FiA plans, in order to enhance democratic processes and to make the best use of scarce available development resources. 12.3.2 Ensuring consistent approaches to community fisheries: Partners should cooperate with each other and with the FiA to ensure that there is consistency in their approaches to, and outcomes from, the establishment of community fisheries, and that all the legal requirements for the establishment of those community fisheries are completed correctly. 12.3.3 Recognising the potential multiple roles of community fisheries: The process of planning and establishing community fisheries can be an important mechanism for informing, raising awareness, building capacity and empowering communities, as well as managing the resource. Partners should consider these multiple roles in the process of working with communities to facilitate the formation of community fisheries. 12.3.4 Exchanging experiences in community fisheries: The success, failure and lessons learnt from different interventions in the establishment and operation of community fisheries should be regularly exchanged by all partners in the development process to ensure that there is a progressive movement towards better development interventions. 292928 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 12.3.5 Avoiding duplication: Given the complexities of the work required to introduce the widespread use of community fisheries in Cambodia, in situations where community fisheries management is considered appropriate partners should work closely with FiA to ensure that there is minimal duplication and overlap between specific interventions. 12.3.6 Understanding roles and responsibilities under community fisheries: Partners should work closely with members of community fisheries to ensure that they are aware of their roles and responsibilities under community fisheries management and that they have the capacities to implement those roles and responsibilities effectively. 12.4 The management of marine fisheries 12.4.1 Ensuring the adoption of appropriate management measures in the coast: There are a number of management options that can be applied in the coast of Cambodia. Where appropriate, community fisheries management may be the selected option. Beyond the inshore areas management objectives and management systems will be defined by FiA in consultation with the fishing industry. Partners should collaborate to ensure that the management measures appropriate for the policies and laws at the time are fully operational in the coastal area. 12.4.2 Understanding the costs and benefits of transferring coastal fishing rights to local small-scale fisheries: Where appropriate, and inline with government policy at the time, partners should explore the possibilities, the costs and the benefits of transferring additional coastal fisheries access opportunities to small-scale Cambodian fishers. The results of such studies should be shared with other partners and should be considered as part of strategic planning in the coast. 12.4.3 Collaborating in the protection of marine species and habitats: Partners should recognise the importance and, in some cases, the fragility of coastal habitats and species and should work together to protect those species and habitats in as outlined in section 11. 30 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 12.5 Enforcement of fisheries regulations 12.5.1 Supporting enforcement activities in fisheries: Recognising that enforcement of laws, rules and regulations is an important part of ensuring access rights of fishers, for the success of fisheries management systems, for the reduction of illegal, unregulated and unreported fish catches, partners should cooperate to ensure that adequate levels of funding and expertise is made available to allow an appropriate level of enforcement to take place. 12.5.2 Increasing awareness of rights and responsibilities: An essential part of the enforcement process is an understanding by all participants in the fishery of their rights and responsibilities under the law. Partners should cooperate to ensure that awareness and understanding of the laws related to fisheries are made available to participants in the fisheries sector in ways which they can understand and assimilate. 12.5.3 Raising awareness across partner enforcement agencies: Partners should cooperate with other government agencies with responsibilities in enforcement of regulations to ensure that these agencies are continuously updated on the management systems adopted in fisheries and are aware of the approaches that they should adopt towards enforcement. 3131 12.6 Conflict Resolution 12.6.1 Promoting the rapid and widespread adoption of community fisheries: In the interests of both the sustainable use of fisheries resources and the reduction of conflicts between resource users, partners should make every effort to ensure the rapid and widespread adoption of appropriate management measures. This is particularly the case where community fisheries is the preferred option because of the potential negative impacts of partially developed or non-functioning management systems on the livelihoods of dependent communities. 12.6.2 Reducing and resolving conflicts: Disputes over access rights and other aspects of the fishery have been common in the past. Partners should cooperate to understand the cause and consequences of such disputes and should work with participants in the sector and with each other to develop and apply appropriate conflict resolution mechanisms to reduce and eliminate such disputes. CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries FISHING OPERATIONS 13 13.1 Equitable and sustainable fishing operations 13.1.1 Balancing fishing efforts with resources: Recognising the fragile nature of fisheries resources, partners should ensure that support to enhanced fishing effort is balanced by the availability of fisheries resources on a sustainable basis. 13.1.2 Integrating plans for fisheries operations with commune plans: In order to enhance democratic processes and to make the best use of scarce development resources, partners should ensure that fishing-related development plans are well integrated with commune plans and also with the policies and plans of FiA. 13.1.3 Reducing illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing: Acknowledging the recent proliferation of illegal fishing methods and the damage that these can do to the sustainability of the fishery, partners should ensure that any involvement they have with fishing operations should include the promotion of legal fishing methods. Furthermore, partners should collaborate to ensure that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is reduced to a minimum. 13.1.4 Promoting the uptake of safety nets and insurance schemes: Given the financial risks associated with fishing operations, partners should collaborate to assess the opportunities available for establishing social safety nets and other insurance schemes, especially for low income or other vulnerable groups. 13.1.5 Promoting awareness about CamCode: Partners operating in the sector should endeavour to ensure through education and training that all those engaged in work in the fisheries sector be given information on the most important provisions of CamCode as it relates to their rights and responsibilities, as well as provisions of relevant international conventions and applicable environmental and other standards that are essential to ensure responsible operations. 13.2 Appropriate landing facilities 13.2.1 Promoting safe and healthy fish landing facilities: Recognising the rights of consumers to safe food, partners should collaborate with the authorities and other participants in the fisheries sector to ensure that harbours and other landing and fish handling facilities are maintained at the correct standards. 13.2.2 Integrating landing facility development plans with commune plans: In order to enhance democratic processes and to make the best use of scarce available development resources, partners should ensure that the development of all infrastructure associated with fisheries is well integrated with commune plans and FiA plans. 32 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT 14 14.1 Aquaculture planning 14.1.1 Recognising the importance of aquaculture and rice field fisheries: Development partners should recognise the potential of aquaculture and rice field fisheries to national development activities and aims and should take this into consideration in planning their research and development activities accordingly. 14.1.2 Promoting good technical development in aquaculture and rice field fisheries: The design and operation of fish ponds and cages, fish refuge ponds, and aquaculture fingerling production facilities should be based on best technical practice available at the time. Partners should refer to FiA’s technical guidance on aquaculture development for guidance on this. 14.1.3 Coordinating aquaculture, rice field fisheries and feed production planning: Partners should cooperate with each other and with the FiA to ensure that there is consistency in their approaches to, and outcomes from, the development of aquaculture and rice field fisheries, and that the planning of aquaculture, rice field fisheries, feed production and fingerling production is done in a coordinated manner which reduces duplication of effort. 14.1.4 Integrating aquaculture and rice field fisheries with commune planning: In order to enhance democratic processes and to make the best use of scarce available development resources, partners should ensure that aquaculture development plans are well integrated with commune plans. 14.1.5 Integrating aquaculture with financial services: Recognising the considerable investment that is required to engage in fish farming, development partners should facilitate appropriate linkages with financial services that are appropriate to the needs of potential farmers, fingerling producers and feed producers. 14.1.6 Selecting the scale of aquaculture: When planning the development of aquaculture, partners should consider carefully what scale of operation they will support. The selection of the scale of operation to be supported will need to take into consideration development objectives such as food supply, export opportunities, concern for the environment, employment, and the livelihoods of the poor. 14.1.7 Recognising the role of women in aquaculture and rice field fisheries: The importance of the current and potential role of women in aquaculture and rice field fisheries should be recognised and catered for and development plans and practices developed to ensure that they address the specific needs of women. 3333CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 14.1.8 Sharing lessons from aquaculture and rice field fisheries: The successes, failures and lessons learnt from different activities in aquaculture and rice field fisheries should be regularly exchanged by all partners in the development process to ensure that there is a progressive movement towards better development interventions. 14.1.9 Considering the health implications of aquaculture: Partners engaging in aquaculture development should consider the health implications of aquaculture development, especially the spread of water-borne disease. 14.1.10 Integrating aquaculture and rice field fisheries with other production systems: Given the potential of aquaculture being integrating with, and adding value to, other production systems, partners should work together to ensure that aquaculture is appropriately considered in the design and development of other rural primary production systems, especially agriculture. Where appropriate the potential for expanding fish production into rice fields should be considered. 14.1.11 Harmonising aquaculture with local capture fisheries: In the expansion of aquaculture, partners should work with communes and communities to ensure that such expansion will not be detrimental to local capture-based fisheries or to the associated communities. 14.1.12 Aquaculture research in upland areas: Recognising the importance of fish in the diets of upland people and the potential of aquaculture to expand livelihood options for upland people, partners should work together to identify areas where there is potential for upland aquaculture development and work with local communities to promote and support this. 14.1.13 Feed production for aquaculture: Given the importance of feed to the aquaculture sub-sector and the limited supplies in Cambodia, partners should work together to understand and resolve these feed supply issues in ways that are viable and sustainable. 14.2 Environment and aquaculture 14.2.1 Adopting safe aquaculture procedures: In the development of aquaculture, partners should be aware of the potential environmental damage that can be done through the release of non-indigenous or diseased fish into the wild. Partners should work closely with the FiA to adopt procedures that ensure that species of fish are not introduced into the wild that can affect the sustainability of stocks of indigenous species. 34 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 14.2.2 Managing fish disease: Partners involved in supporting aquaculture development should take all necessary measures to monitor the incidence of disease in farmed fish stocks. They should also take adequate measures to ensure that disease associated with aquaculture is not brought into Cambodia, is eradicated when identified and stopped from spreading to other wild or farmed fish. 14.2.3 Using indigenous knowledge in aquaculture: Acknowledging the difficulties that people sometimes have with accepting new technology, partners should recognise the value of, and actively use, indigenous knowledge to explore new approaches to aquaculture development. 14.2.4 Using environmentally sensitive species: Partners working with fishing communities and intending to use non-indigenous species and/or critical species should work closely with FiA to obtain the best guidance in line with current policy and international agreements. 14.2.5 Considering the environment effects of aquaculture: The environmental effects and impacts of aquaculture need to be fully considered in all planned interventions and measures should be adopted to reduce such effects and impacts to national acceptable levels. Particular attention should be paid to the potential environmental consequences of the release into the wild of genetically modified or improved species. 14.3 Impact on other stakeholders 14.3.1 Considering trans-boundary issues in aquaculture: Partners should make themselves fully aware of the potential trans-boundary implications of their interventions in aquaculture and, where appropriate, these should be discussed with, and approved by, FiA in advance of implementation. 14.3.2 Considering the impact of aquaculture on access to resources by the poor: Partners should collaborate to ensure that aquaculture development does not adversely affect the access of other fisheries stakeholders, particularly the poor or vulnerable groups, or of small-scale operators, to fisheries resources. This includes the use of fish for fish feed which could be used for human consumption and the enclosure of public fishing areas for private use for aquaculture. 14.3.3 Considering the effects of water quality on consumers: Recognising that the water quality in enclosed production systems can affect the quality of the fish produced, partners should cooperate to raise awareness of such potential problems and ensure that FiA standards on water quality are adhered to. 3535CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 14.3.4 Consulting on likely impacts of aquaculture development: Where aquaculture development is likely to have potential negative impacts on local resources and the livelihoods of other stakeholders, whether in the fisheries sector or other sectors, partners should facilitate consultations about these developments and, where necessary, to mitigate potential negative effects. 14.4 Aquaculture and land security 14.4.1 Facilitating improved land tenure for aquaculture: Recognising the importance of security of land tenure to sound investment in land-based aquaculture, partners should work with the appropriate authorities to facili tate increased land tenure security, especially amongst poor and vulnerable groups. 14.4.2 Identifying aquaculture opportunities for landless people: Where security of land tenure is not an option, then partners should collaborate to identify how landless people can engage in aquaculture through such activities as cage culture or group leasing schemes. 373736 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 15 POST-HARVEST FISHERIES 15.1 Responsible fish and fisheries product utilisation 15.1.1 Ensuring that the importance of post-harvest fisheries is recognised in policies and plans: The importance of responsible fish utilisation to the sustainable use of fisheries and aquatic resources of Cambodia should be fully recognised and acknowledged by all partners. Partners should ensure that post-harvest fisheries are fully incorporated into policies and plans for the sector. 15.1.2 Involving processors and traders in wider fisheries decisions: Given the importance of the supply of primary fisheries products to processing and trade, partners should strive to fully involve fish processing and trade workers in decisions that are made concerning the management, development and conservation of fisheries. 15.1.3 Recognising the role of women in post-harvest fisheries: Given the important role that women play in all aspects of post-harvest fisheries, partners should collaborate to ensure that the specific needs of women are recognised in policies, plans and practices. 15.1.4 Collaborating on value addition: The potential for value-addition in post-harvest fisheries in Cambodia is considerable and partners should work towards identifying, promoting and supporting the uptake of those opportunities. 15.1.5 Integrating post-harvest fisheries development with commune plans: In order to enhance democratic processes and to make the best use of scarce available development resources, partners should ensure that plans for post-harvest fisheries interventions are well integrated with commune plans. 15.1.6 Avoiding duplication of post-harvest fisheries development strategies: There is considerable potential for improvement in the post-harvest fisheries sub-sector in Cambodia. Partners should work closely with FiA to ensure that this potential is exploited and that there is minimal duplication and overlap between specific interventions. 373736 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 15.1.7 Sharing lessons learnt from post-harvest fisheries interventions: The success, failure and lessons learnt from different interventions in the post-harvest fisheries sub-sector should be regularly exchanged by all partners in the development process to ensure that there is a progressive movement towards better development interventions. Lessons learnt from the experiences of working in post-harvest fisheries should be regularly exchanged between partners and made available in appropriate forms to participants in the sector and relevant stakeholders. 15.1.8 Engaging with indigenous knowledge in the development of post-harvest fisheries activities: Acknowledging the difficulties that people sometimes have with accepting new technologies, partners should recognise the value of, and actively use, indigenous knowledge to explore new approaches to post-harvest fisheries development. 15.1.9 Ensuring the use of fisheries post-harvest standards and procedures: Where FiA has developed guidelines, standard operating procedures and practices for the safe handling, storage and production of fisheries products, partners should make themselves aware of these and should work with FiA to ensure the quality of their products are safe for consumption and trade. Partners should also cooperate closely with FiA technical officials for inspection procedures throughout their production chain. 15.1.10 Supporting low income groups in post-harvest activities: Where there is potential for the expansion of post-harvest activities and where it is appropriate in terms of current development policy, partners should collaborate to encourage and support the uptake of those opportunities by small-scale lower income groups. 15.1.11 Reducing the potential effects of post-harvest fisheries activities on the environment: Partners should be aware of, and fully consider, the environmental effects and impacts of post-harvest activities in all planned post-harvest fisheries interventions and measures should be adopted to reduce such effects and impacts to national acceptable levels. 393938 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 15.2 Fish and fisheries products in food and nutrition security 15.2.1 Incorporating post-harvest fisheries into food and nutrition security development policies and programmes at the national and local levels: Recognising the important role of fisheries in food and nutrition security in the country, partners should ensure that the primary use of fisheries products should be for maximising the contribution to national food and nutrition security. 15.2.2 Reducing post-harvest losses and waste: Given the importance of fisheries resources to the food security of the country, all partners should collaborate to reduce post-harvest losses and waste. 15.2.3 Promoting awareness of the importance of fish in food and nutrition security: Partners should cooperate to understand and generate evidence to support the recognition of the importance of fish consumption in national food and nutrition security and to promote an awareness and understanding of this importance amongst policy-makers and planners. 15.2.4 Linking fishery product supply to other forms of animal protein: Acknowledging the importance of fishery products to food and nutrition security in Cambodia, partners involved in interventions in post-harvest fisheries should ensure that the food and nutrition security aspects of fisheries are fully linked to the availability, accessibility and cost of other protein sources. 15.2.5 Contributing to safer food supplies: Recognising that consumers have a right to safe, wholesome and unadulterated fish and fishery products, partners should ensure that all interventions in the post-harvest fisheries sub-sector in Cambodia contribute to this. 15.2.6 Considering seasonal changes in the availability of fish: There are considerable seasonal fluctuations in the availability of fish for domestic consumption. Partners should collaborate with each other and with other animal protein producers to ensure that supplies of low cost fish and fishery products remain adequate throughout the year, especially to low income groups. 15.2.7 Including fish in emergency food security plans: Fish is vitally important to food security in Cambodia and given both seasonal changes in the availability of fish and other protein sources, and the periodic catastrophic shortages of different protein sources, partners should collaborate with each other and with agencies responsible for disaster preparedness to ensure that the role of fish is fully considered in emergency food security plans. 393938 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 15.3 Responsible domestic trade 15.3.1 Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of fish trade: Recognising the importance of the trade of fish to both food security and to the livelihoods of those people who engage in such trade, partners should collaborate to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of that trade. 15.3.2 Planning supportive infrastructure: Given the perishability of fish, partners should work with those agencies involved in planning improved communication systems throughout the country to assist and enable them to pay particular attention to the infrastructure needs of fish traders. Partners should also work with commune councils to help them to take into consideration the importance of infrastructure to fish trade in their areas. 15.3.3 Improving the supply of fish market information: Given the importance of up-to-date information on fish demand, supply and prices, partners should collaborate and work with people in the post-harvest sub-sector to improve the supply of, and access to, relevant and timely information concerning fish trade. 15.3.4 Working with middle men and women: Partners should recognise the importance and diversity of the roles played by middle men and women in the fisheries sector and the importance of those roles in maintaining the operation of the sector. Efforts that are made to improve the relationships with, or independence from, such people must take into consideration the wide array of services which they often provide and the cost and difficulty involved in providing those services. 15.4 Responsible international trade 15.4.1 Balancing imports and exports: Recognising the importance of fish to food security in Cambodia, partners should collaborate to ensure that the import and export of fish is adequately balanced so that fish is available for all income groups, throughout the country and throughout the year. This should be done taking into consideration the role of other sources of animal protein in the country. 15.4.2 Supporting low-income groups to take up post-harvest opportunities: Whilst all groups of people engaged in post-harvest fisheries should be supported in the uptake of new opportunities, partners should recognise and understand the particular problems faced by low-income groups to take up such opportunities and should collaborate to develop appropriate support strategies to help those more disadvantaged groups. 15.4.3 Developing pro-poor international trade: Recognising the potential role of low income groups in international trade, partners should collaborate to create a pro-poor export enabling environment which, amongst other things, increases the transparency of regulations, fees and licence agreements; improves access 414140 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries to permits and licences; enhances pro-poor business development services; improves access to appropriate financial services; develops trade associations; reduces export costs, and improves food safety, environmental standards and labelling. 15.4.4 Streamlining trade regulation: The regulation and inspection of premises and products for the export of fish from Cambodia is complex and disbursed across numerous agencies. Partners should cooperate to streamline such regulation and inspection to ensure that potential overseas markets can transparently and easily monitor production, processing and storage systems for fish. 15.4.5 Developing safety-nets and pro-poor insurance for workers in post-harvest fisheries: Given the unpredictability of export markets and the perishability of fish and fishery products, partners should collaborate to assess the opportunities available for establishing safety nets and other pro-poor insurance schemes. 15.4.6 Attracting investment in post-harvest fisheries: Recognising the importance of private investment in fishery products trade, partners should collaborate closely to promote and encourage both national and international investments in Cambodia. 414140 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 16 ANCILLARY INDUSTRIES 16.1 Responsible financial services 16.1.1 Developing appropriate credit services for fisheries: The development of the fisheries sector, and of fishing communities more generally, depends, at least in part, on improved financial flows into those communities. A large part of this will be in the form of credit. Partners should recognise the particular needs of fishing communities and should facilitate the design of credit provision around those needs. 16.1.2 Sharing lessons from wider financial service provision for the fisheries sector: It should also be recognised that credit alone is insufficient to stimulate community economic growth. Fishing villages need a range of financial services such as savings mechanisms, insurance and money transfer arrangements. Partners should work with communities to identify which services they need and in what form and design service provision accordingly. Partners should also collaborate in sharing experiences and lessons learnt from the development and use of microfinance mechanisms and work together towards improved service delivery. 16.1.3 Supporting more secure land tenure for the poor: Recognising the importance of security of land tenure to using land as collateral for credit, partners should work with the appropriate authorities to facilitate increased land tenure security, especially amongst poor and vulnerable groups. 16.1.4 Strengthening the linkages between communities and finance institutions: In the longer-term partners should work with communities to develop their capacity to relate to and to work in partnership with microfinance institutions and to strengthen those institutions to work with fishing communities. 16.1.5 Recognising the importance of middle men and women to the operation of financial systems: When designing microfinance systems, partners should be aware of the roles played by middle men and women in the fisheries sector and the importance of those roles in maintaining the operation of the sector. 16.2 Responsible boatbuilding 16.2.1 Designing and building better boats: Boats are an important aspect of the fishery and their construction and use has significant implications for both the environment and safety. Partners working with stakeholders in the boatbuilding sector should collaborate to identify ways of building boats that are not detrimental to the environment, that use less fuel and are safe to use. 434342 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 16.3 Responsible energy use 16.3.1 Continuing Cambodia’s low energy-use fishery: Recognising the global and local benefits of Cambodia’s low energy consumption in harvesting, culture, processing, transportation and trade of fish, partners should work together to ensure that this low energy strategy continues to be a driving force behind the sector. 16.3.2 Reducing unsustainable fuelwood usage within the sector: Given the dependence on forest resources for fuelwood, and the negative impact of harvesting mangrove and flooded forest for fuel, partners should collaborate to raise awareness about the environmental damage of such practices and should work together with communities to identify more sustainable energy systems. 16.4 Responsible ice production 16.4.1 Improving food safety aspects of ice: Recognising the increasing use of ice in the preservation of fish, partners should work with processors to enhance the food safety aspects of ice production and use. 16.4.2 Reducing the harmful environmental effects of ice production: Given the potential harmful effects of ice production process to both the environment and the workers in the ice-production sub-sector, partners should work with the appropriate authorities and the private sector to ensure that these harmful effects are minimised. 16.5 Responsible salt production 16.5.1 Promoting the healthy use of salt in post-harvest fisheries: Recognising the role of salt in fisheries products in the wider health and nutrition of the population, partners should collaborate to promote the use of appropriate forms and qualities of salt in fisheries products. 16.5.2 Reducing the environmental damage of salt production: Given the potential damage to critical coastal habitats from increased salt production, partners should collaborate with the FiA to ensure that the location and use of salt pans will be implemented in ways that create the least environmental damage. 434342 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 17 INTEGRATION OF FISHERIES WITH OTHER DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES 17.1 Integration in wider policy and planning processes 17.1.1 Cooperate to integrate policies and plans: Partners should make every effort to ensure that the policies and plans made in different sectors are supportive of each other and are complementary. Partners should collaborate to facilitate that harmonisation of policies and the implementation of integrated plans. 17.1.2 Responding to the holistic nature of livelihoods: Given the holistic nature of the livelihoods of people that depend upon the fisheries sector and their involvement with other sectors such as forestry, roads, health, education etc., it is important that partners fully recognise this nature and facilitate both an understanding of those interactions and how best to integrate planning and development activities across those sectors. This will be particularly important when incorporating fisheries into commune council plans. 17.1.3 Incorporating fisheries interests multi-sectoral plans: Partners should work with all levels of government to ensure that fisheries interests, including the need for conservation of the resources, are taken into account in the multiple uses of the rivers, floodplain, flooded forest, wetlands and the coastal zone and are integrated into wider area management, planning and development processes. 17.2 Integration with social development processes 17.2.1 Understanding the use of fisheries as a social safety net: Fisheries are seen by many poor and vulnerable people as a social safety net which they make use of when they have periodic or more chronic difficulties in their livelihoods. Given the open access nature of many fisheries, entry into fishing is relatively easily achieved. Partners should collaborate to understand how changes in other aspects of people’s livelihoods, such as ill-health, indebtedness, unemployment and migration affect their dependency on the fishery. 17.2.2 Supporting reduced dependency on the fisheries sector: Partners should collaborate to use their understanding of the role of fisheries as a safety net to increase the effectiveness of the fisheries sector in this role and support people’s graduation out of dependency on the resource and back into more sustainable and viable livelihood options. 44 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 18 FISHERIES KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH 18.1 Generating knowledge 18.1.1 Using existing knowledge more effectively: Whilst recognising the importance of generating new knowledge, all partners should strive to use existing sources of knowledge in more effective ways. In particular the traditional ecological knowledge of fishers should be fully recognised and used where appropriate. 18.1.2 Prioritising knowledge needs: Due consideration should be given to the cost and time required to generate new knowledge and partners should work with FiA to prioritise knowledge needs and develop research strategies that contribute most directly to policies and plans for the sound development, management and conservation of Cambodia’s fisheries resources. 18.1.3 Supporting integrated and multi-disciplinary research: Recognising the complexity of the livelihoods and the ecosystem services that interact around fisheries and aquatic resource systems, partners should promote and support integrated and multi-disciplinary research, taking into account technical, physical, environmental, institutional, social, economic and cultural aspects of those livelihoods, and in ways that combine local participation with national support across multiple sectors relevant to local communities. 18.1.4 Increasing participation in all aspects of research: Where possible, research should be a participatory process. Partners should engage with the people involved in the research area/topic. Where possible researchers should determine how participants can engage in all stages of the research process from research design, through research implementation to analysis and dissemination of research results. 18.1.5 Supporting joint research across sectors: Recognising that many of the factors that affect the future of fisheries in Cambodia are outside of the direct control of FiA, partners should encourage, facilitate and support joint research with other researchers in different sectors. 18.1.6 Focussing on pro-poor research in fisheries: Given that poor people are often marginalised from decision-making processes and that there is often only limited information about their livelihoods in fisheries, partners should direct research efforts specifically at the poor in the sector and ensure that their needs, aspirations and capacities are recognised by the policy processes. 4545CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries 18.2 Sharing knowledge 18.2.1 Sharing knowledge about fisheries in appropriate media: The sharing of knowledge across the partners in the sector is an essential part of any knowledge management strategy. That knowledge should be made available to all stakeholders in the sector in a timely way. Partners should also recognise that different knowledge users have different needs and capacities to use knowledge and partners should make knowledge available in a variety of forms that are suitable to a wide diversity of potential users. 18.2.2 Returning research results to the fishing communities: Where fishing communities have given their time and effort to contribute to knowledge generation, partners should make every effort to ensure that the results of research are shared with the community so that they can both validate the findings and they can understand and use such knowledge for their own purposes. 18.2.3 Providing research results in the Khmer language: Partners should ensure that every effort is made to make such knowledge available in the Khmer language. 18.2.4 Developing and using a code of ethics for research: In the process of sharing knowledge, the confidentiality of the knowledge source should be protected where appropriate. Partners should collaborate to develop and use a research code of ethics that protects the rights of the participants of research. 18.2.5 Sharing knowledge with neighbours: Where appropriate, and taking into consideration legal, strategic, commercial and confidentiality considerations, partners should share knowledge with neighbouring countries to enhance the management of fisheries resources. 18.2.6 Assessing the potential effects of climate change on fisheries: Taking into account the potential impacts of climate change on the fisheries in Cambodia, partners should collaborate to assess potential effects and impacts of likely changes and to begin to cater for such changes on the habitats, resources and livelihoods of people. 18.3 Using knowledge 18.3.1 Placing effective knowledge management at the core of fisheries work: Central to the effectiveness of policies and plans in the development, management and conservation of fisheries resources in Cambodia is that decisions are made on the basis of sound evidence. The good management of knowledge in the sector is of vital importance to making policies and plans evidence-based. This management includes the generation, storage, sharing and use of knowledge. All partners in the development, management and conservation of the fisheries sector should place the efficient and effective management of knowledge at the core of their work. 18.4 Capacity building in knowledge management and research 18.4.1 Developing skills and capacity in research and knowledge management: Overseas development partners should work together with Cambodian partners in fisheries to ensure that skills in research and knowledge management more generally are transferred and local capacity is systematically developed. 46 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries ANNEX Annex 1: Using Camcode for Policy-making and Planning 48 Annex 2: Donors and Camcode Annex 3: Explanation of Technical Terms used in Camcode 50 52 ANNEX 1 USING CAMCODE FOR POLICY-MAKING AND PLANNING CamCode is primarily a framework to enhance collaboration, coordination and cooperation between all development partners in the fisheries sector. It can also be used for more specific purposes such as generating policy (government, NGO and donor/funding agency) and planning interventions. CamCode can assist planning at the national, sector, sub-sector, provincial and project levels. It can guide both the planning process and the plan content. CamCode represents the lessons learnt from many research studies, policy reviews, community discussions and technical experience by the different partners in the fisheries sector. As such it can be viewed as a broad statement of good practice for the sector and can be used to guide generally policy and planning content. Section 4 recognises the importance of reviewing and updating CamCode to make use of the lessons learnt from implementation of work in the sector. This provides an opportunity for all those people involved in the sector to become actively engaged in using their own monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems to inform CamCode. Where possible M&E systems of all development partners should be harmonised as indicated under Sub-section 7.2. Section 5 provides general principles for the development of the fisheries sector. These General Principles reflect good developmental practice and should be at the core of any interventions to support the sector. Sub-section 6.1 provides guidance on how policy-making and planning should take place within the fisheries sector. These could provide a sound basis for part of the Terms of Reference for a planning group within a partner agency. Sub-section 6.2 will also help in scoping the complexity of the fisheries sector and how to respond to that complexity when planning support to the sector. It will be important for all development partners to ensure that their plans are, as much as possible, in line with those of the government’s pans for national development. Partners should be particularly aware of the potential for conflict between development objectives- especially at the local level. It will be important to involve both FiA staff at the headquarters technical level and at the provincial level in decisions to resolve trade-offs between objectives. Likewise the needs, capacities and aspirations of commune councils and community fisheries should be considered. In the processes of planning an intervention in the fisheries sector, development partners should be aware of the need for transparency, accountability and harmonisation concerning what they intend to do with what others intend to do in the sector. Section 7 emphasises the role of the TWGF as a major mechanism for ensuring that all development partners can collaborate in the joint planning of the sector. Perhaps most importantly is the need 48 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries to ensure harmonisation and alignment of procedures and processes so that development partners are working together to achieve common goals in complementary ways. Sub-section 7.2 provides specific guidance on this. One way of very actively enhancing cooperation and coordination is through direct partnerships between development agents. Those planning an intervention within the fisheries sector should actively seek out partnerships especially with FiA but also between NGOs, with academic institutions, with the private sector and with communities. Section 8 provides guidance on this. One of the key components of any planning process should be an understanding of who the stakeholders are and how they will be affected by the intervention or policy. Fisheries has many different stakeholders but their involvement in different processes of planning has been very mixed in the past. Section 9 provides some guidance on who these different stakeholders are and how they should be brought into the planning process. Section 10 is concerned with employment in the sector. This is often left out of the planning process but for those working in the sector, employment conditions are vitally important. These should be considered in any plan for intervention in the sector. Section 11 deals with environmental considerations. These will be particularly important for any environmental impact assessments or impact planning. Particular attention should be paid to both critical species (Sub-section 11.2) and critical habitats (Sub-section 11.3). Development agencies working outside of the sector on activities which could impact upon the sustainability of fisheries should specifically refer to Sub-section 11.4. Plans concerned with the management of fisheries should related to Section 12. This considers wider management objectives but also more specific considerations relating to the lot system (Sub-section 12.2), community fisheries management (Sub-section 12.3) and marine fisheries (Sub-section 12.4). The enforcement of fisheries regulation are considered under Sub-section 12.5. Plans that specifically deal with fishing operations, and these will be particularly important in the coast, are provided with guidance in Section 13. This deals specifically with equitable and sustainable fishing operations (Sub-section 13.1) and landing facilities (Sub-section 13.2). Plans relating specifically to aquaculture will find specific technical guidance under Section 14. Those relating to post-harvest fisheries will find specific technical guidance under Section 15. Ancillary industries, such as financial services, boatbuilding, energy use, ice production and salt production are covered by Section 16. All plans need to be integrated into wider development processes. Guidance is provided throughout CamCode on how this might be done. In addition Section 17 deals with this more specifically. A key part of CamCode is the need to move much more towards an evidence-based approach to fisheries management, development and conservation. Research has traditionally been seen as a key component of this process. CamCode goes a step further and considers research within the broader context of knowledge management. Knowledge management is the generation, sharing and use of knowledge. This is considered under Section 18. 4949CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries DONORS AND CAMCODE CamCode is designed to help guide a coordinated and collaborative approach amongst development partners to the development of the fisheries sector. It can also be used to assist donors and lending agencies more specifically, especially in relation to harmonisation and alignment, and planning the financial support of interventions in the sector. Whilst it is recognised that the uptake and use of CamCode by development partners is voluntary (Sub-section 1.1) –the agreement between donors and lending agencies, and the government of Cambodia, on harmonisation and alignment, should encourage and facilitate compliance with CamCode. Likewise, as Sub-section 1.7 indicates, CamCode has evolved from lessons learnt from good practice in the fisheries sector, much of which has been facilitated and supported by the donor and lending community. In particular CamCode refers to the TWGF as a platform for discussing donor support for the sector. The objectives of CamCode, set out in Section 2, are broadly inline with the aims of good development practice and donor and lending agencies should ensure that their development goals are in harmony with these. Donors and lending agencies will also be fully supportive of the adherence to the rule of law at the international, constitutional and national levels as defined by Section 3. Sub-section 4.2 makes reference to donors and lending agencies supporting development in fisheries and in wider national development in line with the guidance provided in CamCode and in ways that promote harmonisation and alignment with the systems and processes of the government of Cambodia. Sub-section 4.3 recognises the rapidly changing environment in which development in Cambodia is taking place and the need for CamCode to evolve to reflect those changes and it urges donors to cooperate in the review of the implementation of CamCode. When seeking ways in which to support the fisheries sector, or to support other sectors that might impinge upon the fisheries sector, donors and lending agencies should take particular heed of General Principles laid out in Section 5. These General Principles reflect good developmental practice and should be at the core of any interventions to support the sector. Section 6 of CamCode deals with the wider development environment in which support to the fisheries sector operates. Sub-section 6.1 provides guidance on policies and planning processes which will be particularly useful in helping donors and funding agencies in planning how they might help the sector. Sub-section 6.2 will also help in scoping the complexity of the fisheries sector and how to respond to that complexity when planning support to the sector. ANNEX 2 50 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries Section 7 is of particular relevance to donors and lending agencies. It deals specifically with transparency, accountability and harmonisation which links CamCode and the fisheries sector immediately in the realm of improved Aid Effectiveness and the Paris Declaration of 2005. Reference to the TWGF is made here and the TWGF provides an important platform which donors can support both through direct participation in its activities and through funding the sector. Donors and lending agencies can play a major role in the efficient and effective development of the sector by adhering to the guidance offered in Section 8 which deals directly with partnerships. This is at the core of CamCode and the main purpose for its existence. Section 9 provides guidance on how different stakeholders might be considered in the development process. Section 10 to Section 16, and Section 18 deal with technical issues and how to address them within the context of Cambodia. All of these will be important when designing interventions in the fisheries sector. Section 17 deal with ways of integrating fisheries with other sectors and with wider policy. This very much reflects the complexities of rural household livelihood strategies in Cambodia. This deals both with need for a more integrated approach to policy and planning processes, and the need to adopt cross-sectoral approaches to address many of the issues faced in the fisheries sector. This will help donors and lending agencies with their country strategy papers. 5151CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries EXPLANATION OF TECHNICAL TERMS USED IN CAMCODE TERM MEANING Accountability Responsibility to others for actions and the effects of actions. Demonstrating and explaining what has been done and why. Complementary Making parts of a whole fit better together so that they add to, rather than take away from, each other. Harmonisation The process of creating complementarity. Bringing the parts of something together to ensure that they work well together and add value to each other. Holistic In many ways a holistic approach is similar to a systems approach – it looks at how all the parts of something fit together. It is concerned with how a complete system works rather than the different parts that make it up. Holistic might refer to a ecosystem or to a human community, or to a way of doing something. Integrated Linking together different parts of a process into a coordinated whole – making the parts work together to become more effective. Participation The process of actively engaging people in an activity. Participation can take many forms from just attending a meeting and saying nothing to meaningfully being involved in decision-making and putting decisions into practice. With different types of participation comes different types of power. Policy-making The process of making decisions about what development intervention should have the higher and the lower priority - making choices that are often political and turning these into practical ways forward. Policy-making is often used to describe what governments do to turn their political visions into programmes and activities to deliver outcomes. Systems approach An approach to management or conservation that emphasises the interdependence and interactive nature of the elements that make up the whole. It uses this interconnectedness to explain the relationships between the parts that make it up. Transparency Openness, communication, and clarity in what is being done so that it is visible and clear. ANNEX 3 52 CamCode: Cambodian Code of Conduct for Fesponsible Fisheries FISHERIES ADMINISTRATION Address #186, Preah Norodom Blvd, Sangkat Tonle Bassac, Khan Chamkar Mon , Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Fax: (855) 23215 470 / Email: http : www.fia.maff.gov.kh Postal Address: P.O. Box 582 FISHERIES ADMINISTRATION Funded and Supported by DANIDA / DFID / NZAid