Concerns grow over Cambodian fish supply

 

 

Although Cambodia exported 30,000 tonnes of fish products worth US$30 million last year, 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.

 

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

 

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, according to reports.

 

Some 465,000 tonnes of fish were caught by the country in 2009, a hike of more than 25% 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 US$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 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 US$4 million. At that time, Nautisco officials said they hoped to have an output of 30 tonnes of frozen prawns per day - up to 500 tonnes per month.

 

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.