Concerns grow over local fish supply

The government has guaranteed internal seafood supply even as foreign demand for Cambodian products has grown. (Photo: Stock File)

New Zealand

via CAAI News Media

CAMBODIA

Monday, April 05, 2010

Cambodia exported 30,000 tonnes of fish products worth USD 30 million last year, the government reported. However, these exports negatively impacted local supply.

In 2009, 20,000 tonnes of fresh fish and 10,000 tonnes of processed fish were exported, an increase of 5,000 tonnes of fish over the previous year, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries Department said on Tuesday.

“We do not want to export too much because we want to give an adequate supply to local demand,” said Sam Nov, deputy director of the department.

He declined to specify the amount of fish needed for Cambodia’s residents.

The national government has been attempting to balance the rising international demand for Cambodian fish products with the dietary needs of Cambodians themselves, who rely on freshwater fish as a food staple, Phnom Penh Post reports.

Some 465,000 tonnes of fish were caught by the country in 2009, a hike of more than 25 per cent from the previous year, according to the report by the Fisheries Department. Of that amount, 390,000 tonnes consisted of freshwater fish.

At the same time, only 25,000 tonnes worth USD 25 million were exported. This was made up of 17,000 tonnes of fresh fish and 8,000 tonnes of processed fish.

Cambodia is an exporter of elephant fish, grouper, lobster, crab and prawns and processed freshwater fish to Australia, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the US and Vietnam, among other markets.

Although the government will not quit exporting fishery products, the amount of products exported will depend on how much remains, Nov explained.

Both domestic and international demand for Cambodia’s fish is climbing. Vietnam and Thailand particularly have increased their demand, and some companies have begun capitalising.

Canadian Nautisco Seafood Manufacturing began running a processing plant in Preah Sihanouk Province last September for a cost of USD 4 million.

At that time, Nautisco officials said they wished to have an output of 30 tonnes of frozen prawns per day - up to 500 tonnes per month. This represents a remarkable rise over Cambodia's typical shrimp catch.

Nautisco said it wants to export its prawns to Canada, Eastern Europe, Japan, Russia and the US.

Despite trends, it is too early in the year to foretell what the 2010 catch will be, analysts said.

Thau Kimsreang, president of Thau Kimsreang Import Export, said the government does not promote the export of fishery products. Thau Kimsreang shipped around 300 tonnes of processed fish in 2009.

“We do not think that in 2010 our company will be able to export as much fish as last year,” he stated.